Here are a few local school news items from September that may have flown under the radar but may be of interest to families and community members:
LASD art program expands for 2026-2027
The Los Altos School District’s (LASD) Art Docents program taught 740 lessons across 54 courses during the 2025-2026 school year, with 98% of teachers scheduling most of the courses offered for their grades. A total of 176 student artists from across the district participated in the program. For 2026-2027, the program has 80 returning docents and 16 new trainees, with 58 courses and 804 possible lessons planned, including new offerings such as “Playing with Line” for transitional kindergarten and silk-screen prints for fourth grade.
San Antonio campus project moves ahead
LASD approved a contract of up to $538,742 with Signet Testing Labs at its Sept. 14 meeting for special inspection and testing services on the future San Antonio campus, as required by the Division of the State Architect. The work will cover testing and inspections for concrete, structural steel, masonry, wood and solar panels. Construction on the so-called “10th site” began this summer with demolition and site preparation. The project is funded through Measures N and EE.
MVLA schools serve 2,700 meals daily
Food Services Coordinator Bryan Barnhardt of the Mountain View-Los Altos (MVLA) High School District’s 13-person food service team gave an overview of the district’s meal program at a Sept. 14 board meeting. The team serves approximately 2,700 meals each day at Mountain View High, Los Altos High and Alta Vista High schools, with more meals being prepared from scratch or through “speed scratch” cooking. The program also offers vegetarian and vegan meals daily and uses “share tables” to reclaim unwanted food and reduce waste.
MVLA arts programs reach 1,900 students
MVLA used Proposition 28 arts funding to add support positions in its visual, performing and musical arts programs during the 2025-2026 school year. The district reported that the funding supported positions including music, technical, dance and musical directors, as well as vocal coaching and other extra-duty assignments. The programs served 1,891 students across all three district schools, with Alta Vista High School adding an instructor for music production.
Cupertino board sets goals for Hawn
Cupertino Unified School District board members met Sept. 26 for a Saturday morning special meeting to establish goals for new Superintendent Jennifer Hawn’s 2026-2027 evaluation process. Hawn began her tenure Aug. 13. District officials said the goal-setting session was the first step in her performance evaluation process and was held within the first six weeks of her employment. The district said the Saturday meeting also allowed for adequate discussion, and the board already had a workshop scheduled that day.
