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Los Altos School District board appoints Brandon Stroy to fill vacancy
Summary
After interviewing four applicants to replace a trustee who resigned, the Los Altos School District Board of Trustees unanimously appointed Brandon Stroy and administered his oath of office. Trustees cited community engagement, districtwide perspective and ability to work within governance rules in their deliberations.
The Los Altos School District Board of Trustees unanimously appointed Brandon Stroy on a provisional basis to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Vladimir Ivanovich, the board announced after a special meeting of interviews and discussion.
The special meeting opened with the board outlining a structured appointment process: each of the four applicants gave a two-minute opening statement and answered a set of questions under a strict time limit. Public commenters thanked the applicants and urged the board to select a candidate who would listen to diverse constituents and prioritize underserved students.
Brandon Stroy, who served as a PTA leader and described himself as a patent litigator and community volunteer, told trustees he brings analytical problem-solving and experience managing fundraising and volunteer efforts. "I think an important skill to bring to this role ... is evidence-based analytical analysis, problem solving," he said, describing community and PTA work alongside his professional background.
Other applicants also emphasized community ties and a commitment to the district. David Paul said he is active in volunteer work and works remotely in a leadership role at GitHub, arguing that flexible work and regular volunteer duties would allow him to meet trustee time requirements and contribute to consensus-building. "I bring a perspective that's grounded in what's actually happening in our classrooms," Paul said. Sarah Bytes, a longtime PTA volunteer and new-families liaison, said organization and full commitment would guide her service. An additional applicant emphasized classroom experience and a "special education lens" as a parent of a child with special needs.
In the board’s private tally of top-two informal ballots, trustees reported Rachel Henke with two marks, David Paul with two marks and Brandon Stroy with four. A trustee then moved to appoint Stroy and a second was offered; the chair called for the vote and announced the motion passed unanimously. The board did not record individual roll-call votes in the public record; the chair stated the motion "passes unanimously." An affirmative vote of at least three trustees was required for a provisional appointment under the district’s announced process.
Following the vote, the board administered the oath of office to Brandon Stroy. The chair congratulated Stroy and thanked all four applicants for their willingness to serve. The meeting was then adjourned.
The appointment is provisional pending the administrative process described at the meeting; the board noted a ceremonial oath of office is on the April 20 agenda and the new trustee may choose to schedule a ceremonial oath at another time.
