School District Trustee Mark Box Resigns

Menlo Park City School District Trustee Mark Box has submitted a letter of resignation to the Board and County Superintendent Anne Campbell, which will become effective June 30.

Box said his family has been considering moving abroad to be closer to family for some time, and that they have finally decided to move to Barcelona.

“Our children have been admitted to school there, and we have decided to proceed with our move to Barcelona for the 2011-12 school year,” he wrote in his letter.

This leaves a vacancy on the Board of Trustees, as Box’s term was not up until December of 2012.

Since the position of a trustee is an elected one, the usual practice would be to hold an election for Box’s replacement. However, Menlo Park City School District Superintendent Ken Ranella issued a press release Tuesday stating that the Board will convene a special meeting on May 31 to consider two options—either holding a special election in November, which would mean a vacancy on the Board for first few months of the next school year, or whether the Board should appoint someone to fill the spot for the remainder of Box’s term.

Ranella said in the press release that, for several reasons, he plans to suggest the Board appoint Box’s replacement, rather than hold the election in November.

His first reason was that an election would cost the district approximately $45,000. The second is that he feels it would be unfair to expect candidates to fund and run a campaign for a seat that will last only 18 months, when a trustee’s terms is usually four years.

Lastly, Ranella said, with the day after Box vacates his seat, he feels the district should have a Board that is complete, to help the new superintendent get acclimated.

“With the new district superintendent coming on board as of July 1^st, it would be prudent to have a full complement of school board members already in place,” he said. “A November election would leave a seat vacant for the first few critical months of this transition.”

Ranella said, if the Board agrees with his suggestion, he will present a proposal for an application and selection process, along with a timeline and a list of criteria the right candidate should possess.

Ranella added, Box will be sorely missed when he leaves the district.

"Over the years, Mark has been a tremendous asset to the district, not only as a member of the Board of Education but also as president of the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation and chairperson of the 2006 bond campaign that has financed most of the facility development projects of the district,” he said.

“During his three years [on the Board], he has made major contributions, particularly in fiscal matters as the district passed Measure C, the parcel tax of 2010. He developed plans for construction and assisted with the sales of District bonds.”

He added, it won’t be easy to replace him.

“Mark leaves big shoes to fill. He has exemplified both integrity and selflessness in his service. His volunteer contributions to the Menlo Park City School District and the community have helped to ensure that our schools continue to provide the best educational experience possible for our students,” he said. “We will certainly miss Mark Box and his family during the next year and we hope that they have an enriching experience in Barcelona.”

Box said his experience with the Menlo Park City School District has been a positive one.

“It is a privilege to live and work in a community that values the education of its children and puts so much time, effort and energy into its schools,” Box said. “It has been great to work with the school board, superintendent, district staff, teachers, parents and others in the community to make our schools better, and I am convinced that the district has the leadership in place to continue moving forward.”

Ranella said he will announce the decision of the Board after the May 31 meeting.

“If the Board’s decision is to appoint rather than to hold an election, I will publish the agreed-upon process for the appointment.”