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Published on 12/23/1996 All articles from this issue

A rarity for LASD: filling vacancy on board

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By Linda Taaffe

Special to the Town Crier

The Los Altos School Board of Trustees is seeking a candidate to fill a vacancy on the board left by Phil Faillace, who resigned to serve on the high school board.

This is the first time the board has had to fill this type of vacancy in the past 20 years, superintendent Marge Gratiot said.

Board members have decided to fill the vacancy by appointment until the next regularly scheduled board election because a special election would cost the district approximately $50,000, Gratiot said.

She said the appointment merely postpones the election until November when either the appointed person or another candidate will have to be elected for the rest of the term.

"The board chose appointment because holding an election is very expensive and takes a much longer time to do," Gratiot said. "We need to get somebody on the board as soon as possible so we have full board component."

Any registered voters eligible to hold public office and who live within the boundaries of the Los Altos School district may apply for the vacancy by filling out a questionnaire and returning it to the superintendent's office at 201 Covington Rd. by noon, Jan. 10.

On the questionnaire, candidates will answer why they are interested in the position, what they will contribute to the board, and what they think are the most crucial challenges the district will face in the next few years.

The board members will review the questionnaires and interview all candidates in a public meeting Jan.13, before appointing someone that night.

Gratiot said she hopes the board appoints someone who is a former or present district parent and has been involved in school-level, district-level and community organizations.

"We need someone who is intelligent, a good listener and a creative problem solver," Gratiot said.

Board member John Moss said the ideal candidate is someone who shares the board's philosophies in developing high academic standards for the community's children, someone "who is interested in the children first."

For more information, call superintendent Marge Gratiot at 941-4040.