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the most viable and they included: the formation of a K-8 school district; the formation of • a K-12 school district; and, the transfer of some or all of the Los Altos School District in Los Altos Hills into the Palo Alto Unified School District. The Committee had sought a legal assessment of these options and engaged legal counsel Marguerite Mary Leoni of Nielsen, Merksamer, Parrinello, Mueller and Naylor, LLP to analysis the options for their legal and political feasibility. Justice-Moore introduced Leoni and noted that she headed her firm's school district reorganization and legal services practice and was the lead attorney for the Town of Woodside for the formation of their K-8 school district. Ms. Leoni had been asked by the Committee to review and provide information on a primary question; "How can the Town best achieve in-town public education, given the current school district boundaries, the realities of electoral politics, the property-based revenue stream, and the legal requirements of the California Educations Code?" and she was before Council tonight to present her findings on the three options Justice-Moore had defined. In conclusion, Justice-Moore explained that the Public Education Committee had not had the opportunity to review the presentation by Ms. Leoni and would present their recommendations at a future Council meeting. Marguerite Leoni addressed Council. She provided an overview of her firm's expertise in electoral and political law districting that included school reorganization. Examples of reorganizations that she had represented in Santa Clara County and surrounding Counties included the Emerald Hills Transfer and Moreland Elementary School District. Leoni proceeded with a PowerPoint presentation. For the purpose of discussion, she focused on the three most likely reorganization scenarios suggested by the Public Education Committee that had as their primary goal the return of an elementary school to the Town of Los Altos Hills. The scenarios included: a Territory Transfer; the formation of school district K-8; and, the formation of a unified district (K-12). She reviewed the following questions and their applicable results for each option on schools and attendance patterns: guarantee of a school in Los Altos Hills; high school district; facilities and property transfer; parcel taxes; existing bond obligations; and, inter-district transfers for attendance in existing districts. Regarding statutory implications associated with the formation of a K-8 school district and the high school designation of students, Leoni explained that the automatic presumption would be for the students to feed into Mountain View - Los Altos High School District. For students to feed into the Palo Alto Unified School District, administrative waivers would be required from the State Board of Education. Leoni reviewed the Thompson Bill and its application as an option for a K-8 school feeding into a 9-12 unified school district. Leoni outlined the "Nine Criteria" for reorganization and reviewed each individually as applicable to the Town. They included: 1) The reorganized districts will be adequate in terms of number of pupils enrolled. 2) The districts are each organized on the basis of a substantial community identity. 3) The proposal will result in an equitable division of property and facilities of the original district or districts. 2 City Council Meeting Minutes February 9,2006