Saturday May 3

Trustees eye charter ruling

Los Altos schools may appeal Bullis decision

By Sharon Noguchi / Bay Area News Group

Los Altos school trustees are considering whether to appeal a court ruling on admission preferences at Bullis Charter School.

Santa Clara County Judge Kevin Murphy last month ruled that the Santa Clara County Board of Education acted within the law to allow Bullis Charter to favor applicants living several miles away in Los Altos Hills.

While the school is in Los Altos near the Mountain View border, it educates many Los Altos Hills children. That's because the charter school was created by Los Altos Hills parents frustrated that the Los Altos School District closed their neighborhood school, Bullis-Purissima, in June 2003.

In fall 2007, the charter school parents won permission from their sponsor, the Santa Clara County Board of Education, to give priority to children living in the closed school's former attendance area.

But Los Altos trustees, who are reopening Bullis-Purissima as a neighborhood K-5 school in August, objected.

"It's simple discrimination'' based on residence, Los Altos board president Mark Goines said.

In addition, the district fears that if Bullis Charter were to attract more Los Altos Hills children, that would skew carefully designed attendance areas The district also worries the new rules will reduce enrollment at Bullis-Purissima when it reopens.

Trustee Grace Mah said that while she welcomed the judge's decision, she wished the charter school and district would work together.

"Sharing common boundaries and enrollment preferences would be an appropriate step,'' she said.

The Los Altos board has 60 days to decide whether to appeal.