Editorial: Kroymann, Barton for Palo Alto school board

Just six weeks ago the two incumbents, Cathy Kroymann and John Barton, appeared to be almost assured of reelection, opposed only by Ivan Kolozsvari, a teacher who has run unsuccessfully twice before.

But then on Sept. 24, long after the filing deadline to run, school activist and Palo Alto native Barb Mitchell made the decision to run as a write-in candidate -- a reflection of her concern over the direction of the district, particularly in the wake of former Superintendent Don Phillips' departure in August.

Mitchell's candidacy made the race immediately competitive, since she enjoys the benefit of a loyal web of supporters who have worked with her in PTA capacities at Walter Hays, Jordan and Paly, and is a knowledgeable and dynamic candidate.

Ironically, it was only four years ago -- when Kroymann and Barton first won election -- that the last significant write-in campaign for school board took place. In that election, Duveneck parent Mandy Lowell received an unprecedented 4,000 votes. Lowell finished third, 2,000 votes behind John Barton, and then returned two years ago to win easily a seat on the board.

Unfortunately for Mitchell, if there ever was an election in which the incumbents were deserving of reelection, this is it. The schools in Palo Alto are in the best shape they've been in for more than 20 years.

After a rocky start, the $143 million Building for Excellence school renovation program is well on its way to meeting its objectives, in spite of the construction challenges caused by a booming economy. Problems with the contractor at two sites, El Carmelo and Barron Park, understandably angered those parents but were handled forcefully and appropriately by the district.

Due to interest earned and the ability to leverage our bond funds with additional state bonds, the ultimate expenditures for the building effort will likely exceed $200 million and allow more needs than expected to be addressed.

General finances are also in outstanding shape, thanks both to big increases in property valuations and the passage of the parcel tax to support teacher salaries and implement further class size reduction. The challenge of reopening a third middle school was solved after immensely complex negotiations with the JCC, Stanford and the city of Palo Alto. Curriculum battles of the past are in remission, teachers are feeling supported and valued and test scores remain excellent.

So with so much good news coming from the schools, what gives rise to Barb Mitchell's campaign?

Mitchell is not satisfied the school board is taking the appropriate steps to plan for possible enrollment growth in future years, and worries that if a 13th elementary school and a third high school are necessary the district won't be ready.

She criticized the swap of eight acres at the old Cubberley High School site to the city of Palo Alto in exchange for the same acreage at the Terman Middle School site because she would have preferred to not compromise future options at Cubberley.

She also opposed the proposal to give up the school district's right to re-purchase the old Ventura school site from the city so it could be redeveloped as an intergenerational facility by Avenidas and Palo Alto Community Child Care.

Mitchell has also been outspoken on school-based fundraising, believing the district should not impose limitations on what local school communities can raise, even if the result is disparity among schools. Instead, she supports district funding of identified core programs and the option of local funding for special programs beyond those.

If one were looking for a qualified candidate to fill a vacancy on the school board, Barb Mitchell would be an exceptional choice. She is a tireless worker, articulate advocate and ambitious in her goals for our schools.

But we neither find her platform persuasive nor the incumbents lacking, and therefore cannot support her bid.

Contrary to some of the rhetoric in the community, the school board has done an outstanding job at juggling finances, class-size reduction and enrollment trends over the ten or more years. The deal to re-open Terman was a good one and preserves the district's ability to utilize Cubberley as a high school if it ends up being needed. Garland will be available as a 13th elementary school if needed and two other leased sites serve as additional security.

Enrollment in the district has actually declined over the last two years, and current projections make it very unlikely that any additional schools will be necessary. In short, the district has successfully protected itself against unexpected enrollment growth.

Interestingly, real education issues have hardly surfaced in this campaign. Gone are angry debates about math curriculum and so-called direct instruction options. Palo Alto parents, an extremely critical and demanding group, appear amazingly content with the education they see their kids receiving in the schools.

With all this in mind, we therefore enthusiastically support the reelection of incumbents Cathy Kroymann and John Barton.

Kroymann has a long history of PTA and community leadership prior to joining the board, and has done an outstanding job at quietly building consensus among her colleagues and the public on challenging issues.

Barton, while much less experienced in school issues when elected four years ago, has utilized his architectural experience exactly as he suggested he would in helping the Building for Excellence program through its problems. As chair of the City-School Liaison Committee, he has promoted better and more frequent collaboration between the city and the school district and realizes that much more can and must be done.

We have no doubt that Barb Mitchell will find her way onto the school board in two years if she is unsuccessful in next week's election, just as Mandy Lowell did. But for now, we support rewarding the two incumbents for the outstanding work they have done and allowing them to continue their fine leadership.

We recommend Cathy Kroymann and John Barton for Palo Alto school board.