BY STEPHANIE LAM
Daily Post Correspondent
Los Alto School District board trustee Vladimir Ivanovic is resigning in protest over the district’s plan to build a new campus for Bullis charter school, a move he believes will impose a large tax burden on residents and jeopardize future bond measures.
The long-time trustee announced his decision at the board’s meeting on Jan. 12, and submitted his resignation letter. Ivanovic, whose four-year term was set to expire in December, will stay in the position until March 11.
The sudden resignation stems from his disapproval over the district building the Bullis Charter School on the “10th site,” a 11.7 acre property the district purchased for $155 million in 2019 to build a new campus. The area houses part of the San Antonio Shopping Center on 2550 W. El Camino Real.
Bullis, which is a free charter school for pre-kindergarden to eighth grade, currently shares campus space at Egan and Blach junior high schools.
Bullis administrators have previously opposed plans to relocate, stating that the center is too small for the school’s 1,000 students.
Ivanovic has been a vocal critic of the move, and reiterated his concerns in a recent statement addressing his resignation.
Ivanovic states the decision doesn’t make sense because the district is in the midst of planning costly renovations to its existing campuses, including updating existing lighting, HVAC, roofs and classrooms.
Egan and Blach is slated to undergo new classroom construction to accommodate sixth graders.
If the district uses its bond dollars on the renovations and new campus construction, there won’t be money left over for any future constructions. This puts the wellbeing of the district’s campuses at risk, Ivanovic says.
In 2024, Los Altos voters narrowly approved a $350 million bond for the school to move forward with purchasing the land and building a Bullis campus. The bond needed 55% to pass. It got 56.2%. The vote was 13,032-10,153, meaning it squeaked by with 280 votes to spare.
The district is expected to provide additional information regarding next steps for filling the vacancy at the board’s Jan. 26 meeting.
