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School board races across the Midpeninsula will have both returning incumbents and newcomers in the coming year, but only two school districts will have candidates on the Nov. 3 general election ballot: Menlo Park City School District and Sequoia Union High School District.
Menlo Park City School District
Four candidates are vying for three open seats on the Menlo Park City School District: incumbents Jed Scolnick and Sherwin Chen and newcomers Maya Herstein and Andrew Barnes.
Herstein is the parent of three students in the district. Her eldest child recently graduated from Hillview Middle School and her youngest attends Oak Knoll Elementary School. Herstein holds a law degree and an MBA.
She has served on the district’s Local Control and Accountability Plan committee, co-chaired Hillview’s service team and volunteered with the Parent Teacher Organization. Herstein’s priorities include student safety, academic excellence, responsible budgeting and support for teachers, according to her candidate statement.
She said that the board needs the perspective of a current parent who can share the experience of what MPCSD’s families are facing today. More information on Herstein’s campaign is at mayaformenlo.com.
Scolnick first joined the board in 2022 and is seeking reelection to continue working with the district as it faces declining enrollment, delivering Measure U-funded projects transparently and protecting long-term financial health. He does not have a campaign website.
Barnes is the parent of a Laurel School and Hillview graduate and is the chairman of the Citizen’s Bond Oversight Committee for Measure U. He works for the County of Santa Clara’s Facilities and Fleet Department, managing acquisitions and building improvements. Barnes also served on the Menlo Park Planning Commission for eight years.
He said he hopes to be able to help the district push forward infrastructure projects funded by Measure U and use his expertise in facilities and real estate to help MPCSD with projects such as the redevelopment of Lower Laurel campus. He does not have a campaign website.
Chen is seeking reelection for his third term on the school board, after being elected in 2018. Over his past two terms, Chen has helped the district navigate students returning to campus during the COVID-19 pandemic, ending years of budget deficits and introducing a parcel tax that stabilized district finances, according to his candidate statement.
Chen is the parent of two MPCSD graduates, a retired finance professional and a Menlo Park resident for over 20 years. In his next term, he aims to strengthen academic excellence, student well-being, fiscal discipline and completing campus-wide construction projects on time and on budget. He does not have a campaign website.
Sequoia Union High School District
Incumbent Amy Koo and Belmont resident Alon Shiran will be on the ballot for Area A residents, an area that includes Redwood Shores, Belmont, San Carlos and parts of Redwood City.
Koo, who has served on the board since 2022, said she wants to prioritize improving communication, engagement and collaboration of stakeholders, and support the recruitment and retention of teachers. Her campaign also focuses on ensuring fiscal responsibility, efficient operations and creating a safe and inclusive learning environment.
Koo also served on the Belmont-Redwood Shores School Board from 2013 through 2022. She is currently working as a finance professional and was previously a director at Gilead Sciences, a pharmaceutical company. Read more about Koo’s campaign on amykoo.org.
Shiran, is the vice president of product and design at Next Insurance, an insurance technology company. His three young children are currently attending Sequoia Union-feeder schools at Redwood Shores Elementary, Central Elementary and Ralston Middle School.
Shiran’s campaign focuses on restoring academic excellence, fiscal discipline and transparency and preparing students with “future-ready curriculum” that provides students with exposure to various career paths.
If elected, he aims to restore rigorous pathways and allocate district finances to support teachers and students rather than expanding district administration. Shiran also wants to restore the partnership between schools and families by pushing for a board that listens to the community and holds the district accountable. For more information on Shiran’s campaign visit alonforschools.com.
Voters in Area D will see two names on their ballot, but only one candidate remains in the race. Incumbent Satvik Nori announced he will not seek reelection to the Sequoia Board and endorsed his opponent Michael Dekshenieks. Nori withdrew from the race after the deadline to have his name taken off the ballot.
Area D encompasses neighborhoods in central Menlo Park, North Fair Oaks and Atherton.
