LAH council skirts school district drama

The Los Altos Hills City Council March 18 declined to referee the ongoing dispute between the Los Altos School District and Bullis Charter School. Despite Los Altos Hills Education Committee Chairman Bart Carey’s recommendation that the council act as mediator between the district and the charter school to avert additional lawsuits, councilmembers agreed to stay out of the crossfire this time, alluding to past problems. “Right now (the district and the charter school) are feeling a lot of pressure,” Councilwoman Ginger Summit said. “Pushing would only create negative feelings in the Los Altos School District and the community. At this time … it is not appropriate.” “I’m not sure why the council would want to take on such a divisive issue,” Councilman Rich Larsen said. Los Altos Hills parents established the charter school in 2004 after the district closed the town’s only public school, Bullis-Purissima, due to budget constraints. In 2008, with increasing enrollment and adequate funding, the district reopened Bullis-Purissima, renaming it Gardner Bullis School. The district has housed the charter school in portable buildings on the Egan Junior High campus, prompting a protracted and contentious debate, with the charter school suing the district four times since 2004 in an attempt to negotiate permanent and equivalent facilities. Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge James P. Kleinberg has ruled in favor of the district each time. In February, charter school officials filed a lawsuit to appeal their latest defeat. Bullis Charter School board member Anne Marie Gallagher objected to the education committee’s recommendation for town involvement, citing a narrow 6-4 committee vote. “This is beyond the scope of the town’s jurisdiction,” Gallagher said. “(The recommendation) is not supported by either BCS or LASD.” No school district representatives attended the meeting. Los Altos Hills Mayor Breene Kerr said the council could jump in the fray when and if the school district asks the council to endorse a parcel tax on the November ballot. “It’s not just about location, it’s also about the operating budget for the charter school,” Kerr said. “That’s going to be a big issue, addressing the longstanding inequities between the charter school and LASD.” Contact Elliott Burr at [email protected].