LASD Board Highlights

On Tuesday, November 7, Measure A passed with a nearly 75% yes vote. Measure A is a local parcel tax that will provide essential funding to retain teachers and protect academics in the Los Altos School District.

Countless volunteers made phone calls, walked their neighborhoods and spread the word about the importance of Measure A. The Board of Trustees thanked the leaders of the volunteer-led Measure A campaign committee--Keep Los Altos Schools Strong--at its December 4 meeting.

The Board thanked and recognized Stella Kam, Peipei Yu, Brooke Lopez, Curtis Cole, Jessica Speiser, Sangeeth Peruri and Chris Hazelton, who all were integral volunteers on the campaign. The Board also thanked the community-at-large for supporting our teachers, students and schools.

The Board heard a presentation regarding an update to the Facilities Master Plan, which outlines necessary improvements to school facilities.

By analyzing four components--programs, facilities, funding and data--the district can determine the guiding principles and overall vision for its facilities master plan.

The plan will identify planning goals, project needs, campus plans, budgeting, prioritization and phasing. Site visits, online surveys, focus groups and community input will provide the information needed to create the Master Plan. Please look for information seeking your opinion on our school facilities in the next few months. For more information, please check out item I.1 on our online agenda.

The Board heard a presentation regarding stick built and panelized construction for the new school campus it plans to build in the City of Mountain View. The campus will be the 10th in the Los Altos School District; at present, there are 9 LASD schools, 1 charter school and only 9 school sites.

As it continues to research the best plan to resolve the school site sharing problem, the Board is analyzing the costs, as well as the pros and cons of various school building options. The Board has looked at schools in other districts, some that are "stick built" and some that are panelized, to gain more insight into the pros and cons of these options. The board is weighing design flexibility, permitting requirements, costs, scheduling, quality, environmental impacts, and procurement of various options. In addition, the Board is thinking about the student and staff experience with each option.

The Board gave direction to staff to continue exploring panelized construction options for the new school. For more information, please check out item I.6. on our online agenda.