By Sara Ballenger

Candidates have until Friday to file for three open 4-year seats on the new Los Altos School District Board of Trustees. But it is already clear that there will be a board election on Nov. 6.

That’s because a challenger, William Cooper, has filed along with all three incumbents up for re-election, Jay Thomas, Victor Reed and Duane Roberts. Recent elections have gone uncontested due to a lack of challengers.

Cooper of Mountain View is a parent with two children attending Springer School.

“As a parent, I have their interests at heart,” Cooper said. “I think it’s critical that a board member has the day-to-day accountability of their own kids in the district.”

Cooper served on the Curriculum Council with the district for one year, and was inspired to do more.

“We (Curriculum Council) took a tour of the various schools with the board. Over a three-hour period at Loyola, we were exposed to a phenomenal range of offerings by the district,” he said.

The council saw a student from Vietnam learning English as a second language, students putting together social studies reports and a group of students playing the recorder, Cooper recalled.

“I saw what a great job we do as a district, serving any number of students and a broad range of learning levels,” he said. “The light went off to get involved on a broader basis districtwide.”

If elected, Cooper plans to focus on the budget.

“I would see the existing and incoming board as having a serious responsibility to see where cuts have to be made with the least impact to students.”

Along with the problems of a budget deficit is the possible solution through a parcel tax.

“I would be open to looking at the potential for a new parcel tax,” Cooper said. “I need to have a lot more information before making a definitive comment, but I see a parcel tax as something worth considering.”

School board members are in for a huge time commitment, Superintendent Marge Gratiot observed.

“I was doing an estimate,” she said. “They attend board meetings, visit schools and are usually involved in several district committees and community activities separate from what they do on the school board.”

The election this fall will be a change of pace for the district.

“We didn’t have an election last time, often not when it’s all incumbents,” Gratiot said. “It’s always interesting to see what comes out of an election.”