With a special election estimated to cost between $365,000 and $438,000, the Las Lomitas Elementary School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously on Wednesday, May 17, to appoint a replacement for Trustee Brian Ross instead.

Ross, a municipal financial adviser, is stepping down at the end of the school year (effective June 30) because his family is relocating to San Diego. He joined the board in December 2022 and his term was set to expire in 2026. During an April 19 meeting, Superintendent Beth Polito announced Ross' upcoming resignation from the board, according to board meeting minutes.

"Serving on the LLESD board was a great opportunity to give back to the community and I strongly encourage others interested in the success of the district to consider applying for the vacancy," Ross said in an email to The Almanac.

The board plans to interview applicants during its June 7 board meeting, Ross' final meeting with the board, according to Trustee Heather Hopkins.

The board has 60 days from the vacancy to either call a special election or appoint a trustee. If the board doesn't take timely action, County Superintendent of Schools Nancy Magee will order a special election. The next available date for a special election would be Nov. 7, 2023.

The cost estimate is based on historical input from the San Mateo County Elections Office, according to the district. The district would pay for the costs of a special election.

The appointee would serve until November 2024.

After an appointment is made, a special election may still be required if at least 1.4% of district voters sign a petition calling for an election within 30 days of the appointment.

Other board resignations

Former trustee Cynthia Solis Yi stepped down from the board in August 2022 because of a move to New York City.

Trustees Hopkins and Gautam Nadella were appointed in October 2021 to fill the openings left by trustees Dana Nunn and John Earnhardt, who both resigned. Nunn moved out of district boundaries, and Earnhardt said he believes that board members are more effective when the decisions they make impact their own children and his own had already graduated from district schools.

More information

For more on the appointment process, go here.