By Eliza Ridgeway

A new school district in Los Altos Hills would encompass all the children of that community, but bring with it school boundary changes and a smaller social environment at which some parents balk.

At a special city council meeting Nov. 15, supporters and opponents of redistricting hashed over some of the most sensitive and uncertain issues at stake: How many private and charter school students, currently half of the town’s students, might return to locally controlled public education? Could such a small student population sustain a school system, particularly a

competitive middle school? And how willing are the remaining families to leave the Los Altos and Palo Alto elementary and middle schools?

“There would be fewer than 80 students in each of grades 7 and 8. How has the council looked at electives and sports?” asked resident Belle Griffiths, who said that the middle school years were some of the most crucial, socially and emotionally.

“Ultimately, it is a trade-off,” said Councilman Craig Jones, referring to the small class sizes anticipated in a new district.

Another question received an unequivocal answer from the city council: Redistricting will go forward only if the option of attending Gunn High School is retained for some or all town students. The city council unanimously passed a resolution reaffirming that it will support reorganization only if high school attendance privileges are retained for students currently within the Palo Alto Unified School District.

If the Santa Clara County School Board approves a new district, the town families currently within the Los Altos and Palo Alto Unified elementary and middle schools districts would fall within the boundary of the newly created Los Altos Hills School District.

The transfer of students customarily occurs over a five-year grace period, with a grandfather option to allow enrolled students to remain at their current schools.

The Santa Clara County School Board’s reorganization committee would determine whether graduates from the proposed district could continue to attend Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District schools, the city council’s stated first choice, or whether all students would fall within Gunn High School boundaries.

The PAUSD informed residents already that it doubts the legality of either measure, speculation the council described as misleading.

A panel including Jones and four members of the town reorganization committee answered questions from the audience of more than 50 residents. The evening’s tenor was more restrained and civil than some of the highly charged meetings held last spring when redistricting was first considered. Nearly every speaker who addressed the council spoke in support of redistricting, but many members of the audience voiced questions that appeared critical of the plan.