Bullis Remains Contentious Issue Following Charter Renewal

One week after the Santa Clara County Board of Education renewed the charter of (BCS), the community still stirs with strong reactions and concerns.

And while some remain highly critical of BCS and its role in the community, others are passing an olive branch. In just the last week, a group of concerned parents from both the Los Altos School District (LASD) and BCS is reportedly forming to find common ground.

All sides in the long-running debate clashed Wednesday, Oct. 5, in hearing that lasted several hours.

The top concern among critics of BCS was the school’s low inclusion of socioeconomically disadvantaged students. About a week before the hearing to a BCS parent created a dust up, with Song sharply criticising the school on just that point.

During the hearing BCS Board Member John Phelps said the school plans to send bilingual postcards targeting areas north of El Camino Real, as well as having recruitment meetings in lower socioeconomic neighborhoods.

Another BSC board member, Anne Marie Gallagher, told Patch the school is committed to expanding outreach efforts as promised during the hearing.

“A team is already formed and working on outreach efforts in advance of this year's open enrollment period,” she said. “Strategic action teams have already begun meeting to decide how BCS can expand its reach to more students.”

However, Tamara Logan, an LASD board trustee, said at the meeting that BCS had made similar statements before.

“It is not clear to me that the final county contract will include any requirement that BCS drop the (Los Altos Hills) preference, nor insure families who cannot or simply will not pay the suggested annual donation are made to feel just as welcome as those who do,” Logan said.

Logan was referring to the school's preference of enrolling students from Los Altos Hills, and its suggested donation of up to $4,500 per student each year.

Bullis carries a public school charter with the county board, but uses LASD facilities on the campus of .

The two parties have been in litigation in one form or another almost the entire time the charter school has been open, Doug Smith, a clerk on the Los Altos School District board, told Patch over the summer. Bullis' legal complaints charge that the district does not provide , but so far court decisions have ruled in the district's favor.

To one vocal BCS critic, Los Altos resident David Cortright, the fighting and discord has been a detriment to the community.

 “My opinion is that all the time and resources spent on BCS has been a massive net negative for the community. Yes we ostensibly have more school choice (if you happen to live in the right region and get lucky in the lottery). And yes BCS kids are doing very well academically,” Cortright said in an email response to Patch.

“But at what cost? An ongoing divisiveness in the community; The time, money and resources by the LASD board on the unending demands and litigation from BCS; The money and resources no longer available to the children within proper LASD schools; And the embarrassment of BCS using the county as their willing pawn in using public funds to create what is effectively a quite exclusive private school for the residents of Los Altos Hills," he wrote.

In the midst of the discord it appears some are trying to heal the wounds.

Joe Seither, co-president of Los Altos Education Foundation, told Patch that a parent has stepped up to form a group of LASD and BCS members to “work to find common ground and diffuse civic tension.”

The group was slated to meet for the first time on Tuesday night, he said.

Speaking only for himself, Seither said he thought BCS leaders heard community concerns through the renewal debate.

“I can say, as a parent, that the SCCOE board did the right thing in raising concerns about BCS not serving the broader community—and BCS did the right thing by hearing the board's and the community's issues and responding as they did with concrete commitments to do better in the future. In this sense, the system worked great,” Seither said.

Gallagher said BCS welcomed the criticism brought about by the renewal process.

“BCS is pleased with the outcome and looking forward to five more great years," she said. "In the renewal process, BCS is held up to the highest levels of public scrutiny. Though it's sometimes hard, we welcome all the input because it makes us better."

In the meantime, the legal back-and-forth continues: the two parties have an appointment in Superior Court next week with regards to BCS’ most recent appeal.