Town funds not meant for schools use

The Los Altos Hills City Council’s continued foray into the public education business now involves a potential land swap that could cost the town an estimated $2.5 million.

The city attorney has been asked to look into the feasibility of swapping a 1.8-acre town-owned property on Page Mill Road for a 3.3-acre property across from the Little League fields on Purissima Road. The scenario has the town kicking in additional funding to make up the difference in the size and value of the properties.

We’re against the town’s direct involvement in schools issues. The town should not spend money or use town property for school sites.

These efforts mean funds meant for providing services for all residents - pathways maintenance, road repairs, sewers and the like - would go toward providing a school for a relative handful of children. Town officials say essential services won’t be compromised, but we know of no extra funding the town can spare. Borrowing would only put the town in debt.

According to Los Altos School District statistics, 74 students from Los Altos Hills living in district boundaries attended the Bullis Charter School this past year. Their records show approximately 1,000 K-8 children living in Los Altos Hills. The numbers speak for themselves: $2.5 million is too much to accommodate 74 students.

We praise councilmembers for their passionate support of public education in Los Altos Hills and their creativity in offering this latest option. But a land-swap plan for the charter school seems at odds with the interests of residents who have children at other schools or who have no children at all.

The city council has wisely pulled away from the idea of using Little League fields and town riding ring land to house the charter school. Councilmembers understand that families use those lands for baseball and horse riding, and want to keep those uses.

As noble as their cause is, councilmembers need to let go of their charter school crusade and concentrate on what voters elected them to do - preside over town business.

Bullis Charter School supporters can - and should - purchase their own site. They’ve already raised $5 million to build a school and offered $1 million toward the land-swap deal.

Surely, supporters are passionate and affluent enough to raise the remaining cash needed to buy the Purissima Road property.

It’s worth noting that the subject property is outside of Los Altos School District boundaries. While it doesn’t change the district’s financial responsibility as the charter’s sponsoring agency, it would no longer require the district to provide facilities for the school.

Judging by the success of the charter school, supporters are doing just fine on their own.