MVLA, which runs Mountain View and Los Altos high schools, used to elect all five trustees at large. This year three seats are on the ballot under the new trustee-area system. Areas 4 and 5 come up in 2028.

Areas 1 and 2: already decided

Nir Paz, an engineer and father, was the only candidate in Area 1, which covers Mountain View north of Highway 101, including Monta Loma and part of the San Antonio area. Mountain View Councilmember Ellen Kamei was the only candidate in Area 2, in the city's northeast. Neither race will appear on the ballot.

Area 3: the contested seat

Area 3 includes Cuesta Park, Old Mountain View, Shoreline West and eastern Mountain View south of Central Expressway, according to the Mountain View Voice. Cornes and Vonnegut both sit on the board now, but the Los Altos Town Crier notes that neither counts as an incumbent here because both were elected under the old at-large system.

  • Thida Cornes, the current board president, was elected in 2022. She points to co-taught classes, the Measure G bond and the social studies curriculum. At an Oct. 13 forum she urged the district to listen more to students and families and to make sure “every student has a caring adult on campus.”
  • Catherine Vonnegut was elected in 2018 and 2022 and helped lead the district through COVID and expand dual enrollment. She stressed the district's tiered support system, more individualized help for English learners and more emotional support for LGBTQ+ students.
  • Sanjay Dave served on the board from 2016 to 2024. He wants the board to go back to reviewing the district's 12 locally developed academic indicators, which he says it stopped doing in recent years. He also said AI could help students practice math and writing.

Money and governance

With several new trustees coming, Dave proposed a retreat run by an outside facilitator. Vonnegut backed governance and Brown Act training, and Cornes suggested revisiting the board's governance handbook and pairing new trustees with mentors. On finances, Cornes pointed to slowing property tax growth and rising pension costs, Vonnegut said the budget is in good shape but needs watching, and Dave emphasized fiscal responsibility and competitive teacher pay. Need logistics? See our Santa Clara County voting guide.

How to vote

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls and vote centers close at 8 p.m., and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. You can check your registration and ballot status at sos.ca.gov/elections. California lets you register and vote the same day at a vote center. For more local races and measures, see our 2026 Bay Area election hub.