Schools
A Full House Bids Farewell To LASD Trustee Harrigan
Monday night's Los Altos School board meeting started on a sweet note, with fond goodbyes to trustee Margot Harrigan, who served for 12 years, and was followed by the swearing in of her successor.
Monday night was all Margot Harrigan's.
To be sure, a new trustee was sworn in as the fifth member of the Los Altos School Board, and important business was done. But the mood was perhaps captured in mirthful song, the Twelve Years of Los Altos.
A full house of more than 50 people packed the district board room to make a heartfelt goodbye, as the board recognized Harrigan Monday night, on her last meeting, after 12 years of service.
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She had spent even more years in the district as a parent, PTA member, art docent.
“Margot, I truly want to thank you for everything you have given our district; I say that as an employee and a parent,” said district Superintendent Jeff Baier. “I think my kids are better off for you having served. So thank you.”
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and several representatives from different groups thanked Harrigan.
Much later on, Steven Taglio was sworn in as the new interin trustee, and a regular board meeting was held. Her resignation letter is attached.
Various members of the community came up and gave Harrigan gifts and their thanks as Harrigan began to get teary-eyed.
A representative from the office of State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) came to the meeting and presented Harrigan with a resolution for all her years of service. Kris Swenson, local California School Employees Association (CSEA) president, and Jim Grijalva, Los Altos Teachers Association (LATA) president expressed their gratitude, as well as a representative of the PTAs, the art docents, and several others.
“We have a long legacy of a strong community here and Margot is a big part of that. I am so proud to follow in the legacy you built for us,” said Loyola PTA president Audrey Crowley on behalf of all the Los Altos PTAs. “I know we’ll be enjoying your influence on the board and the schools for a long time and for generations to come.”
Brenda Dyckman, Egan Principal, even sang and created a song for Harrigan with the help of some students to the tune of “12 Days of Christmas.” A short video clip of this is attached.
Board members expressed their admiration for Harrigan and said their goodbyes. Harrigan reminisced on the good times she has had.
“It’s really one of the best things I’ve done,” said Harrigan.
After a short recess, Steven Taglio was sworn in as the interim board trustee after the board unanimously approved Taglio’s appointment Nov. 14. Taglio brings to the board PTA experience – a perspective Harrigan held – and experience on several different district and school committees.
The interim position is good for one year, after which he has the option to run for election to a four-year term.
Taglio and the rest of the board immediately resumed regular business including voting for board officers, appointments to committees, and some information items.
Mark Goines is the new board president with Doug Smith as his vice president and Tamara Logan as the clerk. The new committee appointments are listed below.
A financial update was presented at the meeting, attached, as well as an update from the Junior High/Middle School Committee. This committee is reviewing the benefits of a situation with grades six, seven and eight at the same campus versus the current scenario of just seven and eight at the junior high schools. Regardless of a change in campus layout or not, the committee is still looking at added benefits for the current sixth grade program, according to Alyssa Gallagher, assistant superintendent of instruction. An update will come back at a later meeting date.
