The Los Altos School District (LASD) Board of Trustees Elections will be held on November 4. Five candidates will run for three open seats to run the K-8 district Below, The Talon introduces each candidate.
Martha McClatchie
Martha McClatchie is the treasurer and financial secretary of the Oak Avenue School PTA and treasurer of the Bullis Purissima Elementary School Foundation. Her platform centers around “financial prudence,” particularly if Measure N is passed. She does not believe $150 million would provide sufficient funding for two new sites and would prioritize a school for the district to accommodate the incominggrowth from neighborhoods north of El Camino. McClatchie believes in the possibility of renovating the existing nine sites and is hesitant about the district purchasing more property.
Vladmir Ivanovic
Vladimir Ivanovic, the chairman of the Citizens’ Advisory Council for Finance, publicizes his focus on facilities, community and finance. Aiming to maintain LASD’s “small neighborhood school” model, Ivanovic supports a district expansion to accommodate neighborhoods north of El Camino. Ivanovic wants to collaborate with local governments on facilities planning to maintain the community aspect of the district. Ivanovic is also an LASD parent and has served on Gardner Bullis’ Site Council and Technology Committee.
Tamara Logan
Tamara Logan, currently the president of the LASD Board of Trustees, participated in the negotiation between the school district and the charter school to outline a long-term agreement to end facilities litigation. Over her last term, she worked to create programs that teach STEM in a creative way and provide guidance to teachers and staff. If re-elected, Logan seeks to offer a forward-looking program that incorporates creative expression through music, art and play. If Measure N is passed, Logan has expressed that she would prioritize a campus for Bullis Charter School, as the current arrangement limits the flexibility of the district.
Sangeeth Peruri
Sangeeth Peruri, an LASD parent, has experience in the investment industry and working with low income districts in California to improve their educational outcomes. Peruri is an Executive VP of the PTA, a member of the Citizens’ Advisory Committee for Finance and the head of the Program Committee of the Boys and Girls Clubs in Redwood City and East Palo Alto. If Measure N is passed, Peruri believes that it would provide sufficient funding for the construction of two new sites if the district is efficient with its spending.
John Swan
John Swan is a Covington and Bullis Charter School parent and has served on the LASD Superintendent’s Enrollment Growth Task Force. Swan’s platform focuses on developing “experiential learning” within the district. He aims for the schools to reach out in joint venture to private companies and to expose the children of LASD schools to foreign language much earlier. Swan does not believe the existing schools can support the upcoming capacity and supports the passage of Measure N.
Story continues below advertisement
