By Sara Ballenger

No decision was made by the Los Altos School District’s Board of Trustees, Dec. 9, as to the configuration of the district’s seven elementary school campuses for the 2003-04 school year.

With the district able to afford operating only six campuses, discussion focused on which campus to close and which schools would move to which campuses. The board expects to make a final decision by mid-February.

“It’s abundantly clear that the operation of a seventh school is off the table for the foreseeable future,” said Board President Duane Roberts. “Now the question is which six facilities to operate.”

The board agreed to gather more information. Board member Jay Thomas proposed that discussion focus on educational programs, assets of the district, the community at large and demographics of the district, before the board makes a final decision.

The board has scheduled a study session with the district’s demographer, Jan. 6. The study session is open to the public but closed to public input. The demographer would provide the district with information regarding redistricting or redrawing the attendance boundaries for each school, which could balance the student population among the schools.

Projected for the 2003-04 school year under current boundaries, Bullis-Purissima would be the lowest attended school with 325 students and Springer School would be highest with 640 students, according to the district.

“Moving whole school communities to a different campus doesn’t make a lot of sense, since the schools are not balanced right now,” said Board member Margot Harrigan. “The first criteria to consider is redrawing the boundaries. We need to look at what we are going to operate before we renovate. Let’s do something with the seventh campus after we redraw the boundaries.”

The public, as well as Superintendent Marge Gratiot, urged the board to make an informed yet timely decision regarding the seventh campus.

“We have to make a decision either for the long term, including next year, or one by default for next year,” Gratiot said. “We can’t decide in May or June. There is a sense of urgency. The uncertainly is hard on everyone. I urge you to move ahead with all deliberate speed,” Gratiot told the board.

Under one scenario, recommended by its Citizen’s Advisory Committee for Finance, currently being considered by the board, the district would operate six elementary schools and two junior high schools without extra revenue from renting out the vacant seventh campus. This scenario does not include the opening of a seventh elementary school within six years.

The district would accelerate its construction and proceed with plans to renovate Santa Rita, Oak Avenue and Loyola schools. The schools would move to the Covington, Blach and Egan camp schools for the 2003-04 school year. The district would have to cut $150,000 from its budget, beginning with the 2003-04 school year, in order to remain financially solid for the next six years and maintain the 3 percent reserve required by law, said Randy Kenyon, assistant superintendent of business services.

For the time and location of the district study session, call the district office at 947-1150.