By Lauren McSherry

The Los Altos Hills city council meeting took an unusual twist last Thursday as councilmembers were drawn into divulging their positions on creating a new school district in town.

City councils usually are not involved in school redistricting, a ballot measure that must be led by a group of citizens. Los Altos Hills is divided between two districts, Palo Alto Unified and Los Altos school districts.

Councilman Craig Jones introduced the topic to the council explaining that the requested funds would be used for a “fact-finding mission.” Jones said, “This is not asking the council to take any position,” but added that being divided between two districts “has led to certain events - some good, some not so good.”

For the past year the city was embroiled in a lawsuit related to reopening a public school at the former Bullis-Purissima elementary school site, the last public school in Los Altos Hills that closed in 2003. Most recently, the council shifted its focus to locating the Bullis Charter School in town.

“If we had our own school district, we’d have the best school district in the state,” Mayor Breene Kerr said. “It would essentially be the equivalent of a private school system.” Hills residents currently pay about $15,000 per K-8 student and $22,000 per high school student annually, he said.

“It’s enough to operate a Cadillac school system,” he added.

Jones called redistricting “the equivalent of having the charter school in town. … We subsidize the other two school districts. We put a lot more in than we get out.”

“If some citizens want redistricting - good luck,” Councilman Jean Mordo said. “I don’t think it’s feasible in the near term. I would support the $5,000 as the last thing to finish off the due diligence.”

Jones was against redistricting during his election campaign last year and said the town shouldn’t be involved in it, but “I’m happy to hear the facts.”

Councilman Warshawsky said, “This is a good investment so that we can see what this is all about. This might put a halt to various groups and put this to rest.”

The council unanimously approved the funds.