HomeMy WebLinkAboutDecember 4Minutes Los Altos Hills Education Committee
December 4th, 2009
1. Meeting was called to order by Chairman Carey. In attendance were Bart Carey, Anne
Marie Gallagher, Tracey Stewart, Irena Halsey, Lee Hartley, Susan Stark, Duncan
MacMillan, John Radford. Eric Ramberg participated by phone. Also in attendance as
council liason was Ginger Summit.
2. Chairman described that the main reason for calling a December meeting of the EC was
to re-address the issue of a proposed LAH mailer concerning BCS 7th grade open
enrollment. At the last meeting this issue was discussed, and a motion passed to
suggest that council authorize a mailer. Also at that time concern was raised by some
EC members that the printed agenda was not specific enough for action on this item at
that time. Chairman Carey consulted with town staff, and it was suggested that this
issue be raised again for discussion and vote.
3. Pro and con arguments similar to described in minutes of EC meeting Nov 6th, 2009 were
again discussed. Cost of mailer was estimated to be $1000. By vote of 6-3 the following
motion was passed: The LAH Education Committee recommends that the LAH City
Council approve and fund an informational postcard mailer to LASD residents of LAH to
make them aware of the upcoming open enrollment period for the new BCS 7th grade.
(Yes votes—Gallagher, Stewart, Halsey, Carey, Hartley, and Radford. No votes—Stark,
MacMillan, and Ramberg.) Gallagher and Carey were again tasked to design a draft of
mailer to be approved by Council.
4. Next it was discussed that we anticipate 2 excellent candidates to apply for membership
to the EC at the next council meeting, both living in PAUSD-LAH and with children at
Garnder Bullis School. The consensus of the committee was to encourage Council to
increase EC size from 10 to 11 to accommodate both new applicants.
5. An update was provided by Duncan MacMillan and Tracey Stewart in regard to meetings
with Gunn HS officials regarding the issues of Miranda access. Further a copy of a letter
forwarded by Chairman Carey to PAUSD officials was presented.
6. Since the last EC meeting a ruling was delivered in the 4th lawsuit between BCS and
LASD. It was discussed that perhaps now we have reached a point where it makes sense
to take a fresh approach to the educational conflicts in our community, given this ruling,
and also given the upcoming turnover on the LASD Board. It was recommended that the
LAH EC take a leadership position in attempting to resolve these conflicts, and discussed
that there may be 3 major principles that could guide a more positive path forward:
First, GBS should be protected as our neighborhood school in LAH. Second, LASD should
prioritize settling on a permanent and equivalent site to house BCS. And third, these
issues should be solved by negotiation rather than lawsuits, and BCS should commit for
now to no further lawsuits or appeals while a fresh approach to these issues is
attempted. It was decided to bring up these issues again at the next meeting of the EC.
7. It was decided that the EC should resume regular meetings with school district officials
to discuss issues of concern to LAH. These meetings will be attended by a sub-
committee of 2-3 members of the EC.
8. Presentations From the Floor—none
9. Meeting was adjourned.