The Sequoia Union High School District serves about 8,500 students at six schools in southern San Mateo County, according to Ballotpedia. Two trustee areas are on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Area A: Amy Koo vs. Alon Shiran
Area A includes Redwood Shores, Belmont, San Carlos and parts of Redwood City. Amy Koo (Incumbent) faces Belmont resident Alon Shiran (Product Executive/Parent). In an Almanac questionnaire, Koo was the only candidate to say the board's February decision to close TIDE Academy, a small STEM high school in Menlo Park, was right, and the only one to say the district is making decisions transparently. Shiran said too many decisions are made without community input and was the only candidate to say the board isn't effectively advocating for student safety.
Area D: a withdrawn incumbent still on the ballot
Area D covers central Menlo Park, North Fair Oaks and Atherton. Incumbent Sathvik Nori, elected in 2022 as a new Menlo-Atherton graduate, announced in August he would not seek reelection and endorsed Michael Dekshenieks (Management Executive/Parent). Nori's name still appears on the ballot, and he asked supporters to vote for Dekshenieks, The Almanac reported. Dekshenieks is a former Navy officer and parent of two M-A graduates who has pushed to keep ninth-grade honors courses.
Shared concern
All three active candidates told The Almanac the district is spending too much on legal fees and settlements as it faces multiple lawsuits.
Nearby: Menlo Park City School District board race.
More races and measures: our 2026 election hub.
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.