Bullis proposal a fair compromise

The current proposal between the town of Los Altos Hills, the Los Altos and Palo Alto school districts, and the charter school does not “clearly favor Bullis Charter School” as you wrote on May 3. You failed to take into account funding.

The current proposal leaves Bullis Charter School students funded at approximately $5,000 per year, while Los Altos School District students receive $8,200 per year and Palo Alto Unified School District students receive well over $10,000 per year (these numbers are federal/state/local funding only and do not include any fund-raising). This discrepancy will only get larger as Los Altos becomes a basic aid district.

Yes, the town of Los Altos Hills got the school they want at the Bullis site; but in exchange, they agreed to continue subsidizing Los Altos and Palo Alto, and left Bullis Charter School with a requirement of fund-raising more than 30 percent of their operating budget. The negotiated settlement is clearly a compromise where no one got everything they wanted.

There is very little that everyone agrees on in this situation. However, I think everyone can agree that if redistricting moves forward it will be a long, expensive, ugly fight. The wedge that currently exists between our two communities is nothing compared to what it will be if Los Altos Hills moves forward with redistricting.

I urge the Los Altos School District board to accept the compromise by the deadline their negotiators agreed to (Mark Goines and David Pefley).

Both gentlemen had ample opportunity at the Los Altos Hills City Council meeting on April 27 to indicate the June 8 deadline was not realistic if that is what they believed - neither one of them gave any indication of this kind.

Los Altos School District has always maintained their decisions are based on what’s best for the majority of the children. So far, unfortunately, only the children from Los Altos Hills have been affected. If redistricting moves forward, win or lose, everyone will be impacted - Los Altos School District’s Phase II bond is very likely to be the first collateral damage in this scenario.

Joan Mellea

Los Altos Hills

Good sports at Jr. Olympics

At the recent Los Altos School District Junior Olympics, the Covington school sixth-grade boys participating in the softball throw event distinguished themselves by providing me with a heartwarming and life-affirming memory that captured the true spirit of youth athletics.

As a parent volunteer at the softball throw event, I sadly witnessed more than a few children get down on themselves because their throws did not measure up to their expectations. One sixth-grade Covington boy stood out as an exception.

This particular Covington student enthusiastically stepped up to the line and made his two throws. Though neither of the throws traveled very far, he recognized that he had performed to the best of his ability and proudly celebrated this achievement.

The enormity of this boy’s personal accomplishment was also recognized by his sixth-grade Covington peers, who proceeded to shower him with words of praise. No teachers or Covington parents were present to covertly or overtly elicit or reward the peer support - it came straight from their hearts.

I don’t know where the sixth grade Covington boys ended up in the final softball throw standings, but I do know that they exhibited a strength of character second to none.

Athleticism diminishes with age. Character lasts a lifetime.

Cindy Walden

Los Altos

League of Women Voters supports gay parade

The board of the League of Women Voters of Los Altos-Mountain View Area voted unanimously to be honorary co-sponsors for the June 4, Los Altos Gay-Straight Alliance parade in downtown Los Altos. We give our support in order to recognize youth who are working for tolerance, equality and justice.

The LWV standard for action is based on positions that have previously been chosen for concerted study, on which the membership has then come to consensus/concurrence. This general agreement, when adopted at a local, state or national level, then becomes a position on which we may take action.

We have two positions that apply to this request:

LWV of the United States, Social Policy: Secure equal rights and equal opportunity for all. Promote social and economic justice and health and safety for all Americans.

LWV of California, Social Policy/Juvenile Justice/Dependency: Support community efforts to provide safe, supportive environments for children and their families and institutions that respect them and promote non-violent solutions to problems. Support the rights and best interests of the child in preference to those of any other individual.

We are pleased to be honorary co-sponsors in support of the youth in our community, and we will be walking in the parade with our LWV banner.

Ginny Lear

President, League

of Women Voters,

Los Altos-Mountain View