...At a glance
A familiar face will return to the Los Altos School Board of Trustees next month with the appointment of former board member Duane Roberts.
Board members selected Roberts Nov. 8 from among the five district residents who submitted candidacy papers to fill the remainder of Gerri Carlton's term, which expires in December 2001.
Carlton announced her resignation from the board last month, citing personal reasons. She has served on the board for the past 10 years.
Roberts, a former Santa Rita and Egan parent, served on the Los Altos board for eight years, preceding current board member Jay Thomas, who filled Roberts' seat.
Roberts has worked as a management and information systems consultant for nine years and previously owned a software business.
His wife is currently a first-grade teacher at Almond School in Los Altos. Roberts' involvement with the district has continued since his departure from the board, with his participation on the district's Citizens Advisory Council and the committees that promoted the district's parcel tax campaign and bond measure.
Roberts said Carlton's resignation, coupled with the departure of Kris Salmon and Terri Sachs, who did not seek reelection and whose terms end next month, prompted him to return to the board.
He said the district "stands to lose a great deal of long-term involvement and understanding" with departure of three members.
"My learning curve for the job would be essentially zero," he added.
Roberts said he hopes his experience will give the board time to bring the new members up to speed over the next two years - a period he described as "great change and stress on district resources."
The district is in the midst of modernizing its schools and restructuring itself with the re-opening of Covington as its seventh elementary school in 2001.
Roberts and newly appointed board members David Casas and Margot Harrigan will join the board next month.