The residents near the schools who are so worried that their “quality of life” is disrupted by the high school students should sell their homes (which have appreciated mightily due to their proximity to schools) and move to a quiet secluded location where they don’t have to be bothered by young people. You chose to purchase a home near a high school, what did you expect? Athletics programs offer important teaching opportunities to students and are a great way for a community to come together and celebrate their youth. Working families have it tough enough in this area without dealing with grouchy school neighbors and ridiculous field scheduling.

@Amused, that seems a trite answer to legitimate neighborhood concerns. I love living directly across the street from a school, and I expect the district administration, and especially the board, to have public policy that protects my interests. A Good Neighbor public policy you might call it. Not a NIMBY always win policy, or school building at any community cost.

It is too bad that legitimate community gripes like glaring lights and extra loud megaphone speakers have been ignored.

I so much like the attitudes of Trustees Mitchner and Faillace. They both seem to recognize this responsibility of the MV-LA district, and they seem willing to speak out and acknowledge that the neighbors already have a Real Problem. School kid concerns have to be addressed in a way that starts to take the neighbors "frustrations" seriously.

Here's a solution for folks that don't want lights installed at their nearby High Schools:

- Move away up to the mountains
- It's more quiet and secluded the higher and farther you go
- Do it quick while your property values are still high


Let the next generation of families with children move-in and actually make use of your space. People who will for sure know how to live and embrace within their intended surroundings!

Folks living in this area should be ashamed of pushing back against the need for lights. They should have known better that coming to live in this type of surrounding community means having to also accept the fact that the High School has to function in various ways in order for it to function as a "High school". Let's have common sense people- If you live in a neighborhood with a High school nearby, expect for various high school related activities to happen at any given time during the day or week. That's just the harsh reality of it all- accept it! Unfortunately you folks have been living in an invisible Utopian bubble- you have neighbors that need to function- so be neighborly!

It's already worse that some of the surrounding streets (such as Bruckner Circle) somehow conned the city into allowing them to post no parking signs on school days from 8am-2pm in their precious street space to ban students from parking on a "Public street". When did this ever become exclusive? It's like the residents hate the students going to school here. I don't see any private gates secluding these public streets keeping others from parking in there. If Google Maps doesn't allow me to place the little yellow man anywhere on the map, then I know for sure it's not a private road, but guess what- it does so what gives? Why not make your precious streets private and gate yourselves off from the world? SMH!!

Every other school district in the entire Santa Clara county is probably wondering why we still don't have a lighted football field. None of these districts seem to have this problem and it's simple- because the folks that live in the surrounding community understand learned to embrace and adapt to their surroundings instead of pushing back. I think our High School Band and football teams would probably excel more if the had lights that would allow them to extend their much needed practices well into the evening. You folks are depriving them of that chance. Now we know why Los Altos probably has a terrible marching band.

For all we know, these same people might even think about banning the public transit from dropping off kids at the bus stops nearby because it's causing unslightly traffic or the busses are too noisy or polluting their precious airspace. If it ever comes to that, then something is totally broken about their way of thinking. CA is starting to transform from the "Sue me state" to the "Paranoid State".

"Community divided..." really? No, just NIMBY's who bought a house near a highly-regarded public school that was there before they were. Instead of complaining, these neighbors should go to the school office on Monday morning and ask how can they volunteer or support the school that contributes to the value of their house. Make a donation to the PTA or MVLA Foundation or to the music boosters or the sports boosters. Seriously, these NIMBY's if anything should be THANKING their neighboring high schools instead of fear-mongering about how evening events are going to destroy their quality of life. SMH.

Those whole initiative is being driven by the football-obsessed athletic boosters.

How long will Friday night football last? Between awareness of CTE and liability insurance for HS's, the end will come sooner than anyone thinks. Already MV must have their better athletes play both-ways to be competitive, increasing their risk of injury as they play tired. Football participation is down nationally for 10 years in a row, and schools all over the country are dropping their football programs. Why are we concerned about spending $$$ on lights for a program that is going away?

Anyone who has an opinion on this, or might be engaged in a decision to support or oppose this, might think of reading a recent "published" California Appellate court decision on the issue (stadium lights at a high school that had none). Taxpayers v. San Diego Unified School District 215 Cal.App.4th 1013 (2013)
156 Cal.Rptr.3d 449. Or, through the wonders of a Google Scholar CA case law search, this link.
Web Link

One of our local education legal law firms that often represents MVLA and MVWSD lost this case for the SDUSD (or rather, there were 2 errors in the CEQA process for the MND that the school district consultants botched). You should be specially mindful that the CEQA Guidelines specifically mention "ambient noise" as a major factor to be considered. That noise problem was specifically mentioned by MV-LA neighbor comments. The SDUSD case was sent back (with an injunction on the SDUSD) because of Street Parking and Traffic issues.

As also a proud (recent and past) MVLA parent of two marching band kids, I totally understand the side of at least a portion of the parents & kids position. As a neighbor of a school, I know there is 'occasional' noise from outdoor school events.

Afternoon crowd noise is different than night time crowd noise. At night, the sound is louder & travels farther.

I am against field lights. If an evening game is warranted, schedule it at Foothill JC or borrow St. Francis' football field when they are 'away'.

Hmm. Some of these neighbors HAVE BEEN THERE since before the school was created. Originally, the single high school was located in downtown Mountain View (on High School Way.) This served the entire combined area of Mountain View and Los Altos back when Los Altos was farms and Mountain View was less developed. Overtime, farmland was developed into housing, and only then were 2 more high schools constructed. MVLA had stadium lights at the downtown Mountain View High School. Since the CREATION of the new high schools, stadium lights were PURPOSELY left out of those new sites, because of the way they were immediately surrounded by houses located in a completely residential, non-business, low traffic area.

This is a symptom of the newcomers to the area who presume to change what has been established as the actual practical good neighbor policy, namely no circus events at these 2 high schools. It's not a question of keeping current with modern trends. Reverting to having stadium lights would be a REGRESSION to 70 years ago when the high school of MVLA did in fact have stadium lights. You can bet the issue was considered for the 2 added high schools. There's no way it would not be.

With all that is now know about the health hazards to high school football players, it's time to realize that the days of that sport are numbered. It makes no sense to belatedly retract the established good neighbor policy, and put up these nuisance features at the high schools.

I never understand this argument. You're inside you're house, windows closed, shades drawn at night, you're not interacting with any noise or lights from any football field. I never understand why people who profess to want to be home and inside, care what the folks running around outside are up to (as long as it's no criminal in nature). Schools and fields need lights. And like it or not, sports are a huge part of a kid's social life (which keeps them out of trouble) and a undeniable part of many kid's college path. Plus lights at the field mean people can use the facility at night. Iove that the new track at Crittenden is running it's lights at night. I love seeing folks out there working out and kids running, soccer players practicing. That's community and it looks good on us. No reason this town should be dark at 7pm. Sure we should make sure that folks interests are protected, but the good of the community should also be considered.

Who stays in their house with the shades drawn all evening? This is a nice neighborhood with quiet ambient noise levels. There aren't high light levels outside naturally after dark. Street lighting is mild. That's what the judge will hear. The traffic/parking overflow on residential streets will feature too in the case. I don't like the district's chances in court.

Steve Nelson has provided (above) a link to a 2013 California Court of Appeal decision-opinion in a lawsuit challenging the addition of high school stadium lights elsewhere in California. It appears to be a great resource for those objecting to the proposal here to add lights (and louder public address systems?) to the stadiums at Los Altos and Mountain View high schools. The court decision points to the importance of the CEQA documents presented to the school board and other evidence and arguments presented before and at the school board meeting when the decision is made to authorize the project. CEQA does not prevent local legislators - such as school board members - from authoring projects. It only requires that the board receive and consider information concerning significant projected environmental effects. Noncompliance with CEQA can serve as a legal basis for challenging a decision by a school board and requiring reconsideration of a project proposal - but the aim should be to get the board to make the right decision in the first place - not to sue. Neighbors might think about (and suggest as a backup plan) binding conditions on the use of lights or sound systems that would mitigate the adverse effects. For example, lights would not significantly affect neighbors if they could never be turned on after sunset! How about lights out by 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and earlier on school-work day nights? Neighbors should start thinking about conditions because the school board members in this instance seems quite "open" to the proposed changes to the stadiums.

@ Faulty,

Most people draw their blinds at night and most folks in that area likely have air conditioning and have their windows closed. So, I don't see the disruption to home owners if we're talking about the lights being on to support practices. If we're talking about games, and crowds that's a slightly different scenario but again, it's a "good of the community" kind of thing that supports the school and the students and that should have some sway. Traffic and parking concerns are real and I think that should all be considered. But the idea that lights are going to somehow effect someone's ability to get to sleep or sit in their living room and watch TV or read a book is silly.

I believe football should be banned in high schools. There are many other sports that do not pose risks to the players. I am also dismayed that so many commentators dismiss the concern of neighbors and provide “helpful” advice for them to move away. Perhaps MVLA should consider moving the schools or renting Levi Stadium.

NBC Nightly News Saturday night had a piece about the declining interest in High School football, and how many schools are doing away with it entirely, in favor of other sports. One reason cited is a demographic shift causing less interest in the sport. I'm not sure exactly what they mean by that, bit it could apply to MVLA. The demographics in Silicon Valley definitely favor other sports and academics. Football seems to be a sport which completely consumes the players as their primary activity at school.

Could it be that these zealots that crave lights are desperately trying to revive a dying activity?

I too don't appreciate the dismissal of the neighbors concerns. A lot of them may especially resist this because of the football culture aspect, in addition to the lack of respect for the peaceful neighborhood.

The field is not only used for football. It is used for marching band, soccer, track & field, field hockey, and many other school activities.

My kids are adults now. I am a big supporter for after school activities which are beneficial for the mental and physical health of teenagers, can be a good learning experience like team work. It is very difficult to have outdoor activities without lights in the winter months when it gets dark early.

Schools should work with neighbors to have usage limits. Neighbors should be open to work with the schools. Hoping for win/win resolution or at least an acceptable compromise.

@ Cleave Frink

I think what people don't understand is that inside my house, with windows and doors closed, I AM "interacting with any noise ... from any football field." (the lights aren't a problem for me). A football game is 70+ decibels -- that's like holding a coffee grinder to your ear. That does interfere with dinner conversation, watching TV, and sleeping. If the high schools want night activities on the field, they should upgrade the sound system like other high schools have so that the maximum decibel level is within city ordinance levels. They also need to be responsible about managing the influx of people and traffic in the dark into a residential neighborhood. Monta Vista did it. Novato did it. Menlo Atherton did it. And if they can do it, MVLA can too.

Another thing to keep in mind is that this community is not and should not be all about the high school. There are 2 nursery schools across the street from MVHS. Oak Elementary school is a block away. Almond School is a couple of blocks down the street from LAHS. Families like mine moved here for the ELEMENTARY school. It shouldn't matter where you live. We all deserve a decent quality of life. "School spirit" doesn't trump the rights of everybody else.

It is sad to see so many parents oblivious to the dangers football poses to their young offsprings. We are not in Kansas anymore. This is 2018.

Do we really want to exploit our youth by putting them in a brightly-lit arena for a gladiator show? There must be better ways to entertain ourselves, foster community, and “support” our youth.

Heidi, if you believe that HS football games are too loud then you should call the Los Altos Police during the next game and have them come out to your home to measure the noise level. You will not do this, of course, because the games are, in fact, not too loud and your claim of deafening noise levels are complete nonsense.

As a society, we have are probably at, or have just passed, peak football.
Twenty years from now football programs at public high schools will begin winding down, probably not before public schools lose a number of very expensive lawsuits. The landscape will become more like NCAA football, where a lot of universities have opted out of the football business. Of course St Francis will if anything still be ramping up. There may be a decade or two where only one of the two MVLA schools does football.

But the lights serve other purposes than Friday night shouting, and i doubt that football is going away immediately. I live across from a school. I am chronically reminded that schools can be bad neighbors. I will not list all the reasons; suffice to say that malfunctioning burglar alarms clanging out 3 times a night between 2 and 5 am, for weeks...

One lives with it. Its a school. Field lighting is standard expected high school stuff. You have to put hard limits on its use, but its not an unreasonable request. As to the people who have lived in Los Altos tract homes from before the planning for the new high schools, I sympathize, but not too much: they will always have Prop 13.

MVLA School Board members supporting this idea should be voted out next election; how can parents trust the education of their loved ones to elected officials who ignore medical evidence against football? Perhaps these members can find a home in Betty De Vos’ organization. And parents who support playing football for their kids need to really really educate themselves to discover what they are exposing their kids to.

@LAHS Parent: As an alternative, consider sending your children to St. Francis or some other school where they have seen the light.

I love how the anti-lights brigade, lacking any reasonable argument that lights would worsen their quality of life or create a public nuisance, are now focusing their efforts on a "football is dangerous for our children" strategy. Of course, many of these same parents making this argument send their children to private schools like St. Francis where football is king. Funny how these same people about football in MVLA have nothing to say to the private schools. The anti-lights brigade is grasping at straws.

This isn't just about football. Let me say that again, this isn't about football. This is about lengthening possible game and practice times for all student athletes and about all sports being able to play at a time when parents could actually attend. My daughter, got into, and is playing college field hockey thanks in big part to her time on the Los Altos field hockey team. It had a HUGE impact on her life. That said, LA field hockey games started at ~3:30pm so JV and Varsity could both play before dark. Leaving work each week to catch a game at that time isn't that easy. And there's no loud PA announcer. There's no band playing. There's no overflow parking. There's barely a tiny group of parents in the stands. This is just lights folks.

It is very rare these days to see The Media publish an unbiased article such as this one in The Voice regarding the controversy over installing stadium lights at MVLA High Schools.
Thanks go to Kevin Forestieri for balanced, truthful reporting.
And in case anyone is wondering, having experienced the games with temporary lights for a number of years, I am a vocal opponent of the lights and the associated problems that are part of these games.

I think many of the the more aggressive proponents for lights on this thread are unaware of an important fact: the MVLA Neighborhood Cares group has, from the very beginning, made an open dialogue with the booster's leadership, and a reasonable involvement in a ground-up review of the boosters' very laudable goals for our students, student athletes, their families and a growing student body, a central focus of our efforts.

We are not against field lighting, per se. We only want to exercise our right to be included in a fair and balanced planning process. One that will mitigate problems that need to be overcome, to make these night time events part of our expectation for our evening quality of life. This can, and we feel will, be done if the Board, and the District Administration, are willing to openly explore all the considerations that have driven the proposal for field lights implementation. Then, to spare no expense or time to find a solution that includes the best noise abatement systems, public safety planning with our cities and police departments, traffic and parking study for our quiet two-lane streets and a field use policy that codifies an acceptable lights and PA system event calendar by sport and weekday/weekend frequency.

So, I for one would appreciate a little more civility and attempts to understand what the issues actually are from those posters (especially those that don't identify themselves) that seem to be shouting, belittling and over-simplifying one or another's motives or intentions.

@LAHS Parent: Whether there are stadium lights is not a consideration for a significant majority of parents. Academics, ‘drug-free’ environment, religious bent are much more relevant to a student and their parents. Happy gladiator’ing if stadium lights are a consideration in choosing your high school!

The LightsBrigade sounds like the pro-lifers: just like ProLifers don’t seem to care what happens after a child is born, the LightsBrigade does not seem to think about what comes after high school. Can you spell CTE? See Web Link

Night time high school football also bring out adult weirdos who like to associate with minors. Not good.

Daytime football better. Most weirdos at work or commuting home.

Good lord. The fear people try and stoke when they have a weak argument.
The boogie man will get you!!!

It really don't care one way or the other about the lights, but this is nimby-ism, pure and simple...excuses that sound better than "I don't want to because it may affect me in an unknown way."
I can understand that, just admit it and own it though.

OK folks. I live near on Truman Avenue two blocks away from MVHS (Los Altos).

I am against the lights as night time football will create more evening traffic and residual noise from revelers & outsiders who venture into the neighborhood.

We don't need or want that.

The pro-lights faction = OK but NIMBY...like how many actually reside near MVHS?

Just as I thought.

Pro-lifers, gun advocates, stadium light enthusiasts : The passion and the lack of informed and rational approach are generally lacking in all these cases. I would never have thought that, in an enlighted community like we have in the Bay Area, emotions could the day.

What galls me about this argument is that things have gone along perfectly fine for decades, without excessive nighttime outdoor events at the two high schools. It's not just the lights, it is the mentality that there is never enough. There is never enough time in the day. Burn the candle at both ends. Start early and work the kids late. It just doesn't hold water.

So consider, if you will, that some of the opposition is based not on NIMBY but on concerns for the ever increasing demands on our youth and on our neighborhoods. Some of it is engendered by the weak and feckless arguments present by those who are in support of the changes, changes for the sake of changing.

The closest thing I can think of in the news at the time is this move to move last call for bars to 4am, instead of 2am. Why? We could, but WHY?

If the problem is crowds and noise, why not set a reasonable limit on the number of evening events involving crowds over a certain size and noise over a certain sustained decibel level?

Field time is precious for many sports and I don’t think we should be limiting the possibilities for our teams to practice (and play with smaller crowds) because of what might happen five or six nights out of 365 (6 nights is literally a <2% problem... I think we get flyovers from Moffett more often than that).

If there’s still a concern, I’m sure there’s no shortage of donors to the high school programs who could help support construction of some reasonable noise abatement to keep sound in, absorb it, or send it up instead of out.

>>> I’m sure there’s no shortage of donors to the high school programs who could help support construction of some reasonable noise abatement to keep sound in, absorb it, or send it up instead of out.

How about a domed stadium with a retractable roof?

I like how one of the commenters here stated that football is not the only sport that requires the lights, but other sports as well, and in fact, not only do the athletic teams utilize the field, but so does the marching band as well. I was at the football field last Saturday attending an exhibition show that the band is currently working on for this season and before they started the show, they had to tone down the metronome that they use to keep in step so as to not "disturb" the neighbors nearby. Bare in mind, this was a 4pm show in the afternoon on a Saturday. The crowd in the stands had a chuckle when this was mentioned.

For all we know, not only are the folks that are pushing against the lights may even soon try to ban the high school band from playing their music while practicing on the field. If it ever comes to that then for sure it only shows that these individuals are turning this entire fiasco into a circus of sensitivity and nonsense.

According to some of the reasons involved, traffic congestion will create a problem in their surrounding streets. What event doesn't include some form of traffic? People have to get to the stadium and then after the event is done, leave for home. Duh!!

Let's use common sense here. SMH again and again

Obviously none of these people also understand that the entire football season involves weekly games every Fridays and the season only lasts until the end of December (and longer if the team makes it deep into the playoffs). This is the same for the High School bands (their season ends at the end of November). Half of the football games are played away.

However, the marching band does need to use the field more often because their competitive performances are conducted at night. The kids need to be under the lights in order to simulate that sort of environment and acclimate to playing at night under those said conditions. There is also a temperature difference between playing during the day and playing at night when it gets colder. That temperature change does affect the way you play your instrument.

Come on folks, just drop the gloves already and allow the school to function as it is instended to be- a high school. Not only is this fight eating into the school year, but you're also being too sensitive for no good reason. What you're doing is depriving the parents and families from enjoying their kids entire high school experience. You example shouldn't be the headline at a party years down the road when someone brings up the question, "How was your High School experience? Well, it sucked because I never got to play at the football field under the lights like everyone else in the Bay Area did".

Now how awkward would that sound like years from now?

Like I've stated earlier, if you don't want to adapt to the high school community then it's probably an indication for you to get out already. Also to add, there is almost a 2 month break in the summer where there IS no High School activities being conducted so this wouldn't be an everyday issue for you all.

As a long time band parent (8 yr total) I also understand the need to practice. I was at the event also. But, my eldest son has said, Jason! Electronic Metronome: it's "very loud" and it is "shrill and annoying" unlike the beat of drums. These is no CEQA requirement to "deferrer to the marching band director". Please be aware of that, that is the statute law in California and it is very clear what the repercussions (in $ for legal fees and settlement losses) will be if Noise, Traffic, Off-site Parking, and Light Trespass is not respected by the MVLA District.

Patrick N. is in a neighborhood very near to Crittenden Athletic Fields/Track. He knows how the community uses and needs lights for some kids/adults stuff like soccer / adult softball / kid baseball. There are very recent new /LED(?) lights at Crittenden that the MVWSD Trustees approved for the use of Bond and City funding. Patrick was a community monitor - for much of that public design and spending. I was a Trustee during that process.

I would like to again 'second' the conciliatory tone Trustees Faillace and Mitchner - and the several community members besides Patrick have expressed. If anyone wants to exempt "high school athletic fields" from CEQA, good luck getting the state law changed! I do not support That Idea.

Let me get this straight. The neighbors complain about the 7am, 8am metronome,
and the Marching band jokes about it, and then only tone it down when they have an audience at 4pm on a Saturday?

Common sense says the objects are much more prescient and applicable before 9am on a weekday. Who says the neighbors object at 4pm on Saturday. I don't believe it!
This is not a good sign of a reasonable attitude.

These neighbors knew the high school was there when they bought their homes. Having to hear an occasional metronome during marching band practice goes with the territory. Also, the marching band wouldn't have to practice at 6:45AM if there were stadium lights available so they could practice in the evening.

I live by St Francis...have for 38 years. I can say from experience, the complaints from the opposition are wildly exaggerated and IN MY DECADES OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, I have never seen the issues they say are inevitable.

Look for more wild exaggerations about the "End of the world" from the naybores.

Evening HS football games attract too many people & additional cars resulting in excess noise & potential rowdiness. Not good for peaceful neighborhoods.

"Evening HS football games attract too many people"
Well, sounds like a lot of people want to enjoy the night games then.

"...resulting in excess noise & potential rowdiness."
Not shown to be the case by actual examples and first hand accounts of people who live around current schools with night games. Quit trying to scare everyone with unfounded fears. Selfishness...that's the real reason. Own it.

Ya bought a house next to a High School.

High Schools regularly hold events such as dances, sports, meetings, rallies, graduations, assemblies which involve loud noises both during the day and in the evening.

Comes with the territory.

Ignore the NIMBY's. Put up the lights. Play ball!

More land is not magically growing out of the ground in Mountain View or Los Altos. The high schools are where they are. We need our high schools, and we need to allow our schools to evolve along with our neighborhoods and the world around us.

High school students need outdoor activities like sports and band. It's kind of a big part of being in high school.

We moved 1/3 mile from LAHS 14 years ago to be able to attend and be close to great schools. Yes, we can occasionally can hear the band practicing, and the loud music on Color Run day. We would certainly be against lights and sound in our backyard 24/7, but that's not what's being proposed from what's been reported so far. Sounds like the schools and sports boosters are trying to come up with good neighbor policies, and I hope all concerned are willing to work together. (plus I believe having the track accessible for night workouts would be a favorable benefit for the neighborhoods).

I don't have much sympathy for the "we were here first" attitude of residents who moved in before these schools were built. LAHS opened 64 years ago. Any owners from that era have become paper millionaires many times over simply by winning the Location Lottery, owed in no small part to the excellent schools that have been built and funded by the property taxes of their newer neighbors (who likely moved here to be near these same schools).

To those who have benefited most by Prop 13, I'd suggest you can afford to give back a little for the betterment of the kids of your neighborhood. You should be able to tolerate a few hours on a few Fridays without parking in front of your homes. If you get loiterers causing issues in the neighborhood, call the cops same as you would do any other night of the year.

And I'm also not a believer in the "football is dying" argument thrown out here. Rules will be changed, technology will find solutions to protect the kids long before that sport is gone. Heck, the NFL has so much to lose by football dying, they'll likely spend millions to figure out how to keep it safe. And if even it does go, something new will certainly take it's place.

Also let's not forget that it's not just the football teams that will benefit from more hours. For example, Mountain View High currently has a nationally-ranked girls soccer team. Wouldn't am occasional night game to showcase their skills generate some excitement for our community? Or encourage a young girls soccer star of the future?

Let there be light!

LAHS is way overloaded by standards (CDE Guide to School Site Analysis and Development.) 52.7 acres of land = a school of 2400 students. LAHS had 2300 students last year more this year. But the site is only 30 acres. MVLA board, closed and sold off the 3rd high school back in the 1980's. Meanwhile MVHS has under 2000 students and 40 acres of land. You'd think there would be less friction there, but decisions have made that site problematic as well. It seems to me that this has to weigh on the CEQA analysis. The district cannot make up for its poor decisions by overburdening the environment around the schools. Sentimental thoughts about Friday Night Lights don't hold any water under CEQA. The legal issue is the objective impact of the current and anticipated situation on the environment around the school.

It's interesting to hear people say they don't mind when they are over a half mile away from the stadium. I too am about a half mile away, and I hear noise from the school too. It is more out of concern for those closer that I oppose the slipshod way this is being managed. Think how many people live WITHIN a half mile radius of the stadium.

Comparing to St Francis could be informative. There are few immediate neighbors of St Francis, because it backs up on El Camino Hospital and is surrounded otherwise by roadways and a creek. The football field is at the extreme edge against the medical office buildings on Hospital Drive across from the Hospital. The campus lies between North Drive and South Drive which are buffered by more medical office buildings. I don't know if people realize it, but Los Altos High School has neighbors whose yards share the fence with the school. This is a most delicate situation not found in very many high schools, which are different than elementary schools. At St Francis the one boundary with direct neighbors is across the creek, and that portion of the campus are quiet school buildings not lit up or active in the evening, quite a ways away from the athletic fields.

But St Francis High School with 30 acres of land is under 1800 students. The overall load on the environment is 25% less than at LAHS. LAHS needs to find ways to mitigate the impact on the community, and this does not mean lighting up a track every evening as some sort of a community benefit.

Forgot to mention that at St Francis, the traffic load too is shared across two different areas. The school has direct access to South Drive and Grant Road from the parking lot, which is where most athletic game traffic runs. This is a busy commercial area and the events happen at off hours for Medical Center usage. Meanwhile, another access to St Francis is on Miramonte Road, which doesn't seem to see any parking load due to school activities or events. There is quite a different CEQA traffic impact from LAHS, which overflows onto low density residential streets. The lighting of the field at night is enabling for foreseeable traffic impact surrounding LAHS, unlike St Francis.

I can't quite speak up to all my neighbors, but I wholly support the lights. The arguments made in opposition are thinly veiled, and that's evident when people who assume you're also opposed speak about it.
Bring the lights, we'll all calm down once everyone realize the fears were overblown by exaggerations.

Too much drinking and drugs going on at night. Too dark to see everything that is going on. Some people having sex. Loud noises from crowd make home unpleasant for families.

The whole problem is too many kids at LAHS. Do something about that. Switch more kids to MVHS. The ones suffering are the low income kids at both schools who don't participate in the sports programs It makes it harder for them to walk 1 to 2 miles 4 times a day if the programs operate in the evening, not that they participate as it is. That's at LAHS. At MVHS some low income kids live nearly 3 miles away from school. Evening programs just aren't attainable for them. But there are an increasing number of low income kids at LAHS and the total enrollment balloons well past 2300. The district should be planning to open a 3rd high school because the 30 acres at LAHS aren't enough to support so many kids. 40 acres at MVHS, a little better. Lots of kids with cars drive anyway, so they don't care More of them live less than 1 mile away from school, even live less than 2 miles from EITHER school. One thing to do is to balance more between the schools or even put more kids at MVHS than at LAHS since it is the bigger school site.

But the district is worrying more about recreational extras than it is about giving a good education to low income kids who aren't served by the sports programs. Mindlessly advocating to add more programs the lower income kids cannot access such as evening sports. Keep the 400 low income kids lost amid a total 2500 on the smaller Los Altos site. Not the best planning.

I am a resident of Bruckner Circle and a graduate of MVHS. I just wanted to say that my entire family along with myself are 100% in favor of the lights! We recognize the value that lights could bring to the community! It’s unfortunate that some of our neighbors have gone a different route. Feel free to connect with a Facebook page I’ve set up called “Bring Lights To MVHS Football Field.” I’m using it as a platform to promote the need for lights and keep people up to date with all the latest developments.

To those who say the neighbors deserve what they get for moving contiguous or close to a High School, consider the situation is not static. There is expressly a discussion about WORSENING the situation for the neighborhood by ADDING lights. The lights weren't there when the neighbors moved in. Then consider the expected impact of a school being a neighbor. The typical elementary school in Los Altos has a density of about 50 kids per acre. Elementary kids are less of an impact than high school kids. Then look at MVHS. With 40 acres, it is also at a density now of about 50 kids per acre, even though it is bigger than ever before. Compare that to LAHS. With 2400 kids, it is at a density of 80 kids per acre, which is something that would never have been expected back in history. The discrepancy between LAHS and MVHS seems to give the LAHS neighbors a good case for unequal treatment. Particularly, adding lights to such a property adds to an already extremely unusual loading for the site. It might even be questioned just how LAHS handled the growth from the time when the school served less than 1500 students. The growth itself is something that may not have been properly mitigated through the years. This may inhibit the ability of the district to consider something so much more impactful as adding lights, on top of the already excessive crowding of the particular location.

>> Too much drinking and drugs going on at night. Too dark to see everything that is going on. Some people having sex. Loud noises from crowd make home unpleasant for families.

If kids can't simply enjoy a night time football game without drinking, doing drugs and having sex then perhaps the field lights should not be installed.

In addition to the added traffic, some evening fights will also be occurring.

Best not to create the potential situations.

Some people having sex? Drinking? Drugs? I honestly didn’t see or hear any of that last night. What I saw was a community coming together to have a good time.

Didn't see any of that? Neither did I. I did not attend. Maybe the neighbors have reports. As to the football game, way to go Mountain View beating Homestead 21-14. On Maxpreps, Mountain View was the 61st ranked team in the section (CCS); Homestead was 64th. Los Altos (No. 67) was to have played today (Saturday) at 3pm against Fremont of Sunnyvale (No. 69). I don't see online which team won. 96 high schools in the CCS have football teams. No. 96 (preseason rankings) is Lynbrook of San Jose (near Cupertino). Lynbrook seldom wins a game. But Lynbrook is head and shoulders above MV and LA academically. Maybe more of the students at Lynbrook know better than to play tackle football. How about reports of injuries in the two opening games for Mountain View and Los Altos? Ben probably didn't see any of that!

Hey Gary, just to clarify, I actually went to the game and I live on Bruckner Circle, which is right across the street from the high school. I’m one of the neighbors, only I’m in favor of the lights. I heard some noises from the after-game dance, but it wasn’t that bad, in my opinion.

After reading all the comments, I now understand why Trump fans and stadium light proponents support their position regardless of the facts: Truth isn’t truth and there is no room for rational discussion; believe what you want to believe.

The rowdiness comes when they park far away from the school for the game. Bruckner Circle is right across from the school. Bruckner Circle is blocked off when they have a game. No parking is allowed on Bruckner Circle. So it's no surprise that there are no problems on Bruckner Circle.

Fair point made about my neighborhood. It really makes me wonder why the rest of Bruckner Circle is making such a fuss. It feels like my family are the only ones in favor of the lights in the entire neighborhood. As for linking those in favor of the lights with Trump supporters, that’s just plain silly. Please don’t insert petty insults into the conversation that have nothing to do with the actual discussion. The bottom line is lights at MVHS would allow kids to play later on in the day, making it so they wouldn’t have to get out of class early. On top of that, night games allow for more parents to watch their kids play and in general, attendance and support is up. These are facts whether you like it or not.

Besides, nobody famous for playing collegiate or NFL football ever came out of Awalt/Mountain View HS anyway.

Why waste the electricty?

Now St. Francis on the other hand...

I'm afraid that "Gary" is mistaken when he claims that Lynbrook is "head and shouldevers above MV and LA academically"

According to the rankings, Los Altos is 5th, Lynbrook is 7th, and Mountain View is 14th.

Web Link

Bye Gary!

If you ask any high school football player (including those at Mountain View High School and Los Altos High School), you will find that they all prefer to play under the lights. It's a highlight of their high school experience. That alone is reason to install the lights. After all, the high school is supposed to do all it can to provide its students with as enriching and rewarding of an experience as possible, is it not?

On top of that, there's a simple practicality to needing the lights. Students who compete in winter sports, such as soccer, have had to leave class early so that they can start playing a soccer match at 3:00 in the afternoon or earlier to avoid darkness. By having lights on the field, these student-athletes won't have to make the sacrifice of leaving class early to compete. Having lights helps them achieve their goals both on the field and in the classroom. The effort has already been made to provide both Mountain View and Los Altos with really nice football fields. Neglecting to put lights on them kind of defeats the purpose of having a nice field in the first place.

Lastly, the comment about Mountain View High School lacking in elite talent is silly and rude. Regardless of how many kids go on to play after high school, it is the job of the school to make sure kids playing in high school have as rewarding of an experience as possible. If anything, you could argue that a lack of elite talent makes it all the more important to provide such services since they'll never get to play again once their high school careers are over. It should also be noted that Mountain View High School has actually produced elite level talent. Frank Kapp (Cal), Joape Pela (Utah), J.D. Nelson (Oregon), Shane Cooney (Brown), Kendal Smith (Utah State/Cincinnati Bengals), and Lewis Hall (Foothill College) are just some of the elite level football players who have donned the Spartans uniform. Former Spartans head coach Toure Carter is now an assistant coach at Stanford. They helped MVHS football reach new heights and I know they would be thrilled to see the school finally get the lights that it deserves.

@Ben Parker: How many students attend MVHS and LAHS? How many of these students play football? Does it make financial sense to indulge football players’ preference for stadium lights when they are such a small part of the school attendance?

No Larry. The survey you cite is based on many factors - academic performance is only one of them. No administrator or teacher who reveals his or her identity is going to claim that Los Altos matches Lynbrook in academic achievement. But hey. If you are convinced that concussions will make your son smarter, then you will want to get him on a tackle football team. Bye Larry.

LAHS has been there since the 1950s. How many of the current neighbors were there then? If the school needs lights, as a number of other schools have, let them have them. Those who bought near a school did so full well knowing that a high school may have some evening activities.

Neighbors bought knowing that some Al Bundy dads would always want their sons to carry on the tradition of getting injured - sustaining brain damage for life - from tackle football? And everyone knows that brain damage leads to irrational thoughts and action such as adding stadium lights so there is more time and more opportunities to sustain more injuries. Even the Lord said LET THERE BE LIGHTS. Do I have that right? Maybe this is someone's version of religious freedom? Is there a witchcraft club at Mountain View High that needs the light to see the grass that, when smoked, creates the belief that, working together as a coven, witches have power? Proponents of lights and louder loud speakers and fun in the hood after dark may not have a good case but they likely do have the votes on the school board. And the good news near Los Altos High is that it is too darn dark at night currently. Think of it as becoming enlightened.

@Jared: I think if this was just about football, you’d have a fair point. However, as I said earlier, this isn’t just about football. This is about soccer, lacrosse, cross country, track and field, marching band, and others. Extracurricular activities are a big part of student life. I know this because I went to MVHS, played sports including football, and I also have spent some time working for the district as a long-term substitute. I’ve had students that are directly impacted by the lack of lights. Lights are needed in order for the high schools to function at a peak level. The lack of lights has made things harder for many students over the years.

It's irrelevant if people bought their homes 50 or 15 or 3 years ago. The design of LAHS has neighbors backing up against the school grounds 25 feet away from the bleachers. This is unreasonably close. First of all, the football field could be relocated, but that would be expensive. This layout is not suitable for night time stadium activities. That's why all the demos with portable field lights are happening at MVHS.

However, there are PLENTY of existing night time activities at the school. The just don't occur outdoors so close to the back yard fences of the neighbors.

Why are things so tight? Well, LAHS has only 30 acres but is overcrowded with too many students. Such a limited site should be held down to 1800 max students. Instead this year there are more like 2400. That's a huge imposition. The growth has been more recently. So long as MVHS is so much smaller, the district has an easy remedy. Why isn't it using it? There would be less of an issue about scheduling after hours sports activities in the dark if there were 25% fewer total students.

And, almost all of the homes were purchased back when the loading of LAHS was under 2000. The district needs a plan to mitigate the unreasonable problems that some with overloading the school. Adding night time field lights is not a reasonable change.

Look at the scrambling for ANY argument to counter the one that makes the absolute most sense for the community, now and far into the future.
I've read zero compelling arguments about not installing them. Selfish jerks who fight against community. They should move. We don't need selfish mercenaries here, we need good community residents.

I see Ben now admits he is a paid long-term substitute teacher at Mountain View High and a former footballer at the school. Maybe Ben get land a full-time position. Ben keeps forgetting to write about football injuries - including brain damage. But he does hint at the only development that might justify stadium lights: GLOBAL DIMMING. And Ben says lots of activities can be carried on under stadium lights - including cross-country where the running only crosses the goal lines. Ben may want to add meetings of the witchcraft club that I asked about in an earlier post. Covens are groups of 13 witches that think they are empowered working as a team - similar to football. Ben, go with the need to accommodate covens. You could pick up a key constiuency.

Al Bundy, I mean Ben Parker: Are you related to the star running back at Los Altos High named Ben Parker. I see video highlights all over the internet. That Ben Parker is a senior who also plays baseball. He appears to be small - but slow. And yet quite accomplished. Congratulations if you are his dad. But you still have a weak case for stadium lights.

I agree with Gary. MVLA would do well to emulate Lynbrook. And Lynbrook, an academically excellent public high school located in the middle of a quiet residential neighborhood, has the very same stadium lights which Gary claims to oppose!

Web Link

Boom!

When voters authorize school districts to borrow money be selling bonds like there is no tomorrow, school districts will waste money on just about anything. Lynbrook is in San Jose near Lawrence Expressway and part of a large high school district with aloof trustees. I would have to check the map and the history to figure out just how Lynbrook got a lighted stadium. Proponents of lights might want to cite how existing lighted stadiums are being used. Take Foothill College, for example. It has a lighted stadium used for the past 50 years by Los Altos and Mountain View footballers - as well as other high school football teams. High school track and field meets are staged at Foothill. But report on how Lynbrook uses its football stadium lights. Good idea. When you have a report, post it on this story.

Any by the way, if you find out that the lights at Lynbrook are used for academic study sessions after dark, let us know. It could help your case. Maybe, though, Lynbrook seldom turns on the lights to save on maintenance and energy or to not disturb the neighbors. Give us a report.

I see online an article in the San Jose Mercury News from April 11, 2012 reporting that the Board of Trustees in the Fremont Union High School District had just voted unanimously to install stadium lights and new sound systems using bond money at the two top academic schools in the District (Lynbrook and Monta Vista) having prevously lost a CEQA lawsuit filed by opponents. Learn from their experience. A typical school board can and will make such "improvements" - especially when the district is flush with bond money that can be so used. I have heard that some board members here have floated the idea of raising other funds in this instance. But the pricetag is too high for fundraisers. Figure the MVLA board will move ahead with lights and noise and traffic. Neighbors should start thinking about mitigation measures that could be adopted and made a permanent condition of approval..

In order to add lights after the CEQA lawsuit, for the Lynbrook site, that school board had to pay for completely moving the stadium so as to not be so close to the neighbors. This is a real lesson relative to LAHS, where the stadium is even closer to neighbors than it was at Lynbrook prior to the lawsuit.

Lynbrook is only 1800 students with 37 acres vs the current 2400 students at LAHS on only 30 acres. Both LAHS and MVHS have large contingents of low income students who do not do as well as their peers. Such students have to travel as much as 3 miles to reach school, and they are unlikely to benefit from added evening activities. Lynbrook serves a more localized population who are largely Asian and high performing as Gary says. Unfortunately rankings seem to ignore the issue of evenness in performance by all students. The academic performance in MVLA is much more varied student to student. 30% of students are Hispanic and 2/3 of them are low income. The number of low income students is over 400 at both MVLA schools, while only 140 at Lynbrook. Additonally of course, the science on the brain injuries caused to high school football players is much clearer now than it was 6 years ago. It reall seems questionable that the school board is ready to spend so much money on adding lights when they are not providing equal education to all their students, with so many doing poorly and being among those not likely to use the new lights at all.

Speaking from personal experience, very few Asian/East Indian youngsters play or have an interest in youth football.

This translates into even less interest as they get older. Academics & other sports activities take precedent.

As a result, we will probably never see them become high profile collegiate or NFL players.

Now in neighborhoods where there is an avid interest in football, field lights are not that unreasonable in that it promotes the sport.

I suspect that football is becoming a lower/working-class sport/outlet.
For some, it's all they have to aspire to & we can't take that away from them as it will provide a viable professional opportunity for those who are truly gifted in the sport (barring injury, jail, domestic violence or substance abuse).

Lights for football schools...no lights for the academic-oriented ones.

Wow. A Pop Warner coach talking about race or culture but still not injuries. Wasn't that true freshman from Hawaii who stepped into the second half of the college championship game last season to win it for Alabama a Pacific Islander? He had an advantage in not playing much during the year:he was still healthy. Hey coavh: name one player at Los Altos or Mountain View or in local Pop Warner that has a serious chance of ever signing an NFL player contract. Name one.

No response from the Pop Warner coach just yet. But hey coach. Maybe this question will be easier: what percentage of high school football team members at LA and MV (formerly Awalt) (1) have been seriously injured (bad enough to not be able to play) and (2) have signed an NLF player contract? LA started in the mid-1o50s and Awalt-MV in the 1960s. Let's ballpark the answers as we wait for the coach to respond. Figure 150 boys tried high school football each year and each school (300 per year) at three levels. Multiply 300 times the number of years. Let's say 60 years. 300 times 60 is 18,000 students. But players move up toward varsity. So the number of different students trying out for football might be more like 6,000. I bet half got seriously injured (as defined above). Some were injured for life. Indeed, most of them probably sustained concussions. Now, how many signed NFL player contracts? 10? And how many made over $1 million as an NFL player (in an entire career)? One? If only the high schools had had lighted stadiums, think of how many more students might have been seriously injured or made a million in the NFL.

light good, neighbor weird

just put lights
and here is why:















































































































































































































































































































































I feel like this is obvious just put in lights lol

I am 100% in favor of the light, instead of pushing early mornings onto the students of marching band and football, they will be able to practice in the evenings and they will be able to experience what it is like to practice in tournaments. The marching band needs these lights to get rid of terrible morning rehearsals that degrade student energy. These lights would reduce frequency of practices on different days and make the night practices a little bit longer. Lights would be a major plus for MVHS.

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I'm honestly surprised that such a supposed forward thinking community could be so ignorant. Selfish, aged residents who chose to purchase real estate right next to a high school have the audacity to use extraneous events to make a fuss over small issues. Most of their claims, if not all, are unbased, uninformed, and generally come off as whiny and immature. My family has lived in Mountain View for multiple generations, and I've always believed that supporting our students and their activities is what makes our community so great. Instead of supporting our local community and future generations, our selfish, ill - informed residents are making inane accusations just because they've forgotten what it was like to go outside for once. If they actually took the time to ask, to think, or even to have patience, they would realize that the installation of stadium lights doesn't come with any of the supposed "repercussions" that they are so adamant about.

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How are stadium lights going to entice pedophilia? Wouldn't it just shed light on the pedophiles..? Also if we don't have funds to construct a new science wing, how would we have the money to rent out Levi's Stadium 8 times a season?? Jesus Christ some people really need to actually consider the things they're saying and how they comport themselves in a public space.


Also, if you're afraid of rapists coming through your front door, just close your front door. Close. The. Front. Door.

Also, all of the inane and actually racist Lynbrook - related comments need to back off. We don't tolerate that here, and I have sent a report to the moderator on the page.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

It's sad to dismiss valid concerns. The concerns about disruption to the community have been in place for 60+ years. It's not lights were just invented. They were repeatedly rejected, and lights were actually uninstalled from the old Mountain View High School when it was downtown. There was reason behind these positions.

Now we have a time when the high schools are overcrowded, and the argument against adding new avoidable impacts to their neighborhoods are more valid than ever. There is no need for lights. Band practice happening at night is a very poor reason indeed. I know schools with lights, and the bands still practice in the morning. I don't see why here would be any different.

People who deny lights should be considered felons.

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[Post removed due to same poster using multiple names]

Genesis 1:3 New International Version (NIV)

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

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Lights are 100% needed at MVHS. I hope you all realize it’s not just for marching band and football. Soccer, lacrosse, and other teams need it too and are voicing their support as well. Unfortunately the majority of you forget them. Some other doofuses use the argument of our teams suck so no lights. Our girls soccer team is one of the top ranked teams in the nation so why don’t you sit your asses down and think on that. Also sports involve supporters as well. Inside and outside school we have crowds come and cheer us on, so it’s a large group of impacted people.

Light em up.

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We may be seeing in the new posts above the immaturity and obnoxiousness the neighbors rightly fear from some HIGH schoolers. Keep those posts coming. Maybe the school board will see more of the risk and reject the proposed changes.

Besides, do you really think that kids who get high end up on forums like these? Just further proving the blatant accusations and lack of awareness by you and others your age.

High, immature or obnoxious. Take your pick. By the way, Mountain View's girls soccer team was very good last year - without lights. Checking Maxpreps, I see the girls finished with a record of 19-1-3 - beating Mitty in the CCS final. There were no state playoffs in soccer. MV was ranked 4th in California and 8th in the country. Nice work. But nothing to do with Night Lights. 7 girls on that soccer team were seniors. If the team repeats as CCS champs this upcoming season (December to April), I will be impressed. But it won't be because of lights at the football stadium.

Gary, I am not related to that Ben Parker. I’ve met him before, though. I subbed for one of his classes. He’s a really nice kid and I’m sure he would love to play under the lights. I’m glad to hear he is doing well. It makes me proud in a way to see someone carry on my name on the gridiron.

Gary, I’m also a sports reporter, so I’m familiar with the nature of brain injuries in sports. I don’t mention concussions because I don’t feel it is a relevant issue here. Those bringing up concussions are trying to use them as a red-herring, giving themselves the appearance of caring for the students when in truth, the only people they really care about is themselves. Those claiming that lights cause an increase in sexual behavior are even more pathetic, slandering the students so they can get a more peaceful nights sleep five nights a year. What a joke. Those people should be ashamed of themselves.

Thanks for the additional info Ben. I raised the issue of football injuries before the NFL. Doctors have complained for decades. Injuries abound in football, although the worst sport for injuries is gymnastics. You certainly are right that most of your neighbors are mostly - if not solely - concerned about themselves. But they have their peace and quiet at stake. Your best bet for lights is to show all of the available uses - including for sports other than football. You have posted some ideas. How are lights used at other high schools? If you don't like Lynbrook, how about Paly? Some will say STADIUM LIGHTS ARE LIKE TATTOOS. Just because others got them doesn't mean they belong on these campuses. But realistically, unless students sabotage your campaign, the school board is going to conditionally approve the addition of lights. So maybe folks should start talking and writing about mitigation measures. For example, when would you propose that the lights must be turned off?

@Gary
>>>No response from the Pop Warner coach just yet. But hey coach. Maybe this question will be easier: what percentage of high school football team members at LA and MV (formerly Awalt) (1) have been seriously injured (bad enough to not be able to play) and (2) have signed an NLF player contract?

(1) countless (2) none

As one reaches for higher levels of attainment, the %s who actually make it drop off dramatically due to the increase in talent levels nationwide & the requirement to perform at elite levels.

The propensity to succeed in professional football is based natural talent, coachability, freedom from injury, & football 'smarts'. Few have it.

Ethnically speaking, some families stress education as a viable means towards vocational success. Other groups maximize on physical attributes.

There will be few Asians/east Indians in the NFL due to size & lack of interest.
On the other hand, we have seen quite a few individuals of Tongan descent do well at the higher football levels due to their size & continued interest in the sport.

Nice ugliness on display here over an issue that's really not that difficult and been solved many times over up and down the Peninsula, as nearly every high school in the area has field lights that are situated within residential communities. Thankfully these boards don't govern anything. Jeez. Only a matter of time before this thread is locked.

Sports/bands need time to practice and compete, preferably at times that don't force them to miss any class time, and they also need schedule flexibility due to inclement weather. Rain wreaks havoc with scheduling, forcing postponement and cancellation of games and practices when the the grass fields are unusable. Every team that plays on grass benefits from the lights: field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, football, track, even baseball and softball take advantage of the turf when needed.

The neighbors have a right to have their concerns heard and considered. Curfews should be established. Restrictions over PA system usage/volume should be set. Lighting should be as far away from the neighborhood borders and pointed downward as much as possible to minimize impact.

The school board has already stated they wish to satisfy all parties as much as possible before moving forward. There's middle ground to be found.

Let the process play out. Go to a board meeting. Send concerns to the Board directly. Stay on topic. Be civil to one another. The nonsense here is not helping either side's position.

To be civil, I will not use your word "nonsense" in reference to your apparent claims that stadium lights would protect band members from the rain and baseball can be played or practiced on a football field. But you are right to advocate the consideration of mitigation measures.

Thank you @not my real ... If you do some more internet searching of California government documents on this issue - there are some interesting restrictions on some Southern California high schools. They are as you have suggested, but have been done by the California Coastal Commission due to the schools proximity to the coast. For instance 18 nights of lights (total after 7 PM), no rentals, strict 10 PM curfew, and combinations of these.

A MV-LA Board enacted "Good Neighbor Policy" could cause these types of issues (like "ambient noise" measurements) to become a part of the operational guarantees of the district toward it's closest neighbors. The Board (majority) and not the Administration or parents, is what sets public policy.

For instance ... Cupertino USD now has an experimental public school bus route plan starting in January ('19) that is being tried to mitigate traffic and parking problems. "Traffic" and "off-site parking" are specific items that a Board Policy could address, and a test bus plan could experiment with. (Benchmark the Best)

They should also be utilized for other things as well...like extending the vegetative growth stage of pot plants during the evening hours/off-season.

Then use the proceeds to enhance various education & recreational programs at the school.

Today, there is a great number of websites that offer different paper writing services. These sites usually have the same terms and conditions as well as policies for using them. You may think that these sites are just all the same up to the paper’s quality. They’re not. If you seek information about “improve critical thinking”, welcome to Scamfighter. Web Link

Whilw winning is not everything or the "only thing" (to quote a football coach), I reported (above) that Mountain View and Los Altos footballers had won their opening games against lowly opponents. Now, another week into the season, I can report that the teams did not fare as well in their second games - losing hy wide margins to other lowly teams. Mountain View was whitewashed by previously 0-1 North Salinas High 39-0. Los Altos lost 53-33 to previously 0-1 Jefferson of Daly City. Football games are not won by lights or new uniforms or louder speaker systems. Games are won by big or fast players and years of practice. And in the bigger scheme of things, the outcome of football games means little (except maybe to gamblers).