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Martha Bowden, Saddle Court, spoke to her concerns that there would not be enough <br /> critical mass of students at the junior high level to provide the appropriate education. She <br /> noted that there were 22 elective courses currently being provided at her children's school <br /> and questioned if this would even be viable with a K-8 school district. She also believed <br /> that the proposed transition to high school from the proposed K-8 school would not be <br /> good for the kids and explained that this was a critical development age for children and a <br /> time when important friendships are forged. The proposal would split the kids up and <br /> send them into two different districts. Bowden opposed redistricting and spoke to the <br /> letter posted on the PAUSD website from the County Office of Education that stated the <br /> Town's redistricting proposal was not permissible within the State Education Code. <br /> John Radford, La Paloma, offered that he had heard many good questions from the <br /> audience and appreciated the scrutiny the residents were expending on redistricting but <br /> questioned why the Los Altos School District were not being given the same careful <br /> examination and being asked the pertinent questions like how many Los Altos Hills <br /> students would be attending the reopened Bullis, when would Bullis be a full K-6 school <br /> and why was the District was mute on these topics and not answering questions. He <br /> reiterated his support for redistricting. <br /> Marlin Miller, Taaffe Road, commented that the Town was terribly fragmented between <br /> the many school districts and it was time to make a change. He suggested that residents <br /> should not be afraid of the quality of the education that would be provided under a new <br /> district and spoke to his confidence that the community would come together with the <br /> addition of a much needed neighborhood school. <br /> Shari Emling, Murietta Lane, voiced her support for redistricting and suggested that false <br /> information that was being disseminated by those opposed to the effort. She expressed <br /> her dissatisfaction with voting to approve school bonds and then seeing her tax dollars <br /> used to support schools in other communities. <br /> Chris Vargas, Templeton Place, summarized proposed solutions that he had heard over <br /> the course of the evening: 1/2 solution proposed by Los Altos School District (LASD) <br /> which would open Bullis school to serve half of the children of Los Altos Hills and most <br /> likely bring in children from Los Altos to fill the school; 3/4 solution which would ask <br /> LASD and Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD)to negotiate a way to put the BCS <br /> at the Bullis site and allow all Hills kids to attend and transfer parcel tax dollars to in <br /> effect establish a "proxy" district; and the full solution for the Town to build their own <br /> district and take control of their own education destiny. He questioned what the Council <br /> was willing to consider-he encouraged the Council to accept the full solution or 3/4 but not <br /> the '/2 solution. Vargas suggested that the Council reframe their statement to say that the <br /> solution was for future generations of residents. <br /> Brad Lyman, Wildflower Lane, expressed his belief that a community school was very <br /> important and a way for children to forge lasting friendships. He summarized his <br /> experience with the CPR effort to find a solution with the LASD and the fact that the <br /> • ultimate outcome of the weeks of meetings was no solution. Lyman expressed his <br /> 5 <br /> City Council Special Meeting Minutes <br /> November 15,2006 <br />