Laura Moon will officially join the Las Lomitas Elementary School District governing board after a second vote to appoint her on June 14. The do-over came after Las Lomitas was alerted by another local school district member that state law prohibits outgoing trustees from voting on their successors.

The vote was again unanimous, 4-0, with outgoing trustee Brian Ross abstaining.

In an email to the community on June 11, board President Jason Morimoto wrote that the board was made aware of concerns that it violated California Education Code Section 35178 when it appointed newcomer Laura Moon to the board. District spokesperson Kelli Twomey said a Sequoia Union High School District board member alerted the Las Lomitas district to the section of education code.

Moon, who applied for the position on May 30, has spent five years as a substitute teacher, PTA member and coach for youth basketball and robotics in the district, according to her application. She has two children who attend district schools and lives in Menlo Park.

Moon has a marketing background and a bachelor's degree from Harvard University, and has lived in the district for 10 years.

She said that with recent emergencies — like flooding, power outages, wildfire smoke and the COVID-19 pandemic — there is a need in the district for proactive and responsive communication systems. She said would also like to see input from the diverse community on the district's strategic plan.

The board considered three other candidates for appointment to the seat: Portola Valley resident and district parent Susanna Chenette; Steve Mushero, a Menlo Park resident, tech executive and district parent; and Andrew Slater, a Menlo Park resident, teacher and district parent.

Ross announced in April he is stepping down from the board on June 30 because of a family move. His term expires in 2026.

For provisional appointments, the person appointed holds office until the next regularly scheduled election -- in this case November 2024 -- for district board members.