By Traci Newell

The Los Altos School District Board of Trustees evaluated candidates for the Santa Clara County Committee on School District Organization at the board’s Nov. 13 meeting.

The school district and redistricting advocates are closely watching the committee because it will decide whether or not to forward Los Altos Hills’ bid to create a new K-8 school district. The school board will cast their vote for the open seats at the Nov. 27 board meeting.

There are two seats open on the 11-seat committee, both in San Jose districts. The committee represents five districts, serving school districts throughout Santa Clara County. Each school board in the county is eligible to cast one vote. The two new committee members will sit on the committee for its first meeting to discuss Los Altos Hills’ petition on Dec. 7.

In one of the San Jose districts, Ernest Guzman, incumbent, is running uncontested.

In the other, incumbent Nejleh Abed and newcomers Joan Cooper and Susan McGhie are running.

Abed has served on the committee for four years and was a governing board member for the Campbell Union School District for three years. During his time on the board, they passed a $74 million bond measure and appointed a new superintendent. Abed served on the PTA and was chairman of the school site council.

Cooper has been active in the Santa Clara County PTA and has worked with LASD Board President Margot Harrigan.

McGhie served on several school site councils over the past 10 years and is an active classroom teacher and parent volunteer.

Los Altan Phil Faillace, a Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District trustee, fills one of the 11 seats. He served on the LASD Board of Trustees for 13 years. The other seat allocated to District 5, which includes Los Altos, is filled by Josephine Lucey, who serves on the board of trustees for the Cupertino Union School District.

The primary responsibilities of the County Committee for School District Organization include the reorganization of school districts, establishing the budget, appointing the county superintendent and the establishing or rearranging the governing board trustee areas in the school districts.

At the Dec. 7 public hearing, the committee will evaluate whether or not to develop a new school district in Los Altos Hills.

Santa Clara County Committee on School District Organization

Steve Glickman, District 1, Los Gatos

Phil Nielsen, District 1, Los Gatos

Nick Gervase, District 2, San Jose

Ernest Guzman, District 2, San Jose

Tony Alexander, District 3, San Jose

Rich Garcia, District 3, San Jose

Nejleh Abed, District 4, San Jose

Chuck Walton, District 4, Campbell

Phil Faillace, District 5, Los Altos

Josephine Lucey, District 5, Cupertino

Robert Benich, At-large, Morgan Hill