Parents looking to send their children to schools in the Sequoia Union High School District will have a chance to ask Superintendent Pat Gemma about the district's schools at a meeting of Sustainable Menlo Park, which starts at 5:30 tonight (March 11) in the Burgess Recreation Center, located in the Civic Center between Laurel and Alma streets in Menlo Park.

Mr. Gemma will talk about goals, programs and the future of the Sequoia Union High School District, according to Chuck Kinney, chairman of Sustainable Menlo Park, which holds monthly meetings to discuss community issues. The district includes Menlo-Atherton and Woodside high schools and Summit Preparatory Charter High School,

Mr. Gemma's talk occurs on the same day that the California Board of Education meets to consider a petition for a new charter high school in the Sequoia district. The state board is expected to approve the petition that is opposed by Mr. Gemma and the district board. The new charter high school, known as Everest, would be based on the highly successful Summit Prep.

A staff report from the state Department of Education rejects all 16 claims the Sequoia district used as the basis for its refusal to grant Everest a charter. ■ View the staff report online (page down to item 9).

Asked to comment, Sequoia district spokeswoman Bettylu Smith replied via e-mail: "The conclusions drawn by the (Department of Education) staff reviewer in Sacramento are in stark contrast to the findings of fact made at the local level."

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