After two decades serving on the Mountain View Whisman School District's board, Ellen Wheeler has decided that this year will be her last and doesn't plan to seek reelection in November.

Wheeler's decision to retire will leave an open seat on the K-8 school district's board. Fellow incumbent Devon Conley, first elected in 2018, told the Voice that she does plan to run again. Former board member Bill Lambert, who served from 2012-16, is also planning to throw his hat into the ring for one of the two seats that are up for a vote this November.

First elected in 2002 when her youngest child was in elementary school at Bubb, Wheeler is currently serving her fifth term. In an interview, Wheeler said she feels ready to end her tenure on the board and is satisfied to see that Lambert and Conley are running.

"I think the district is in good shape. I think our superintendent does an outstanding job," Wheeler said. "I feel like I can in good conscience leave the board."

Reflecting on the past two decades that she has spent on the board, Wheeler said she is happy to see the progress Mountain View Whisman has made. In particular, she pointed to the board's decision to hire Superintendent Ayinde Rudolph seven years ago and said that it is a good sign for a school district to have stability in the superintendent.

She also noted that during her time on the board, the school district shifted to being primarily funded through local property taxes, rather than through the state's per-pupil funding formula. That has meant that the district doesn't lose money when enrollment declines and has been able to make investments in its schools, Wheeler said.

The window for candidates to file the necessary paperwork to formally run for office opens on Monday, July 18, and closes Friday, Aug. 12. That period is extended five days if an incumbent doesn't file paperwork to run.

For more information, visit the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters website.

To read articles about each of the candidates planning to run for Mountain View Whisman's board, check back on the Voice's website over the next several weeks.