Palo Alto Unified School District honored retiring Board of Education members at a reception preceding the open session of the meeting on Tuesday. Loaded with roses and with husbands in tow, Mandy Lowell and Gail Price sat down for their final school board meeting.

Camille Townsend, the current school board president who was elected last week to a second term, opened the session with signature phrases from Lowell and Price. Lowell often said, “They didn’t move here [Palo Alto] for the ocean view,” referring to the practice of moving to Palo Alto for the school system. Price is known for her comparative interest, “What are the other districts doing?” Both women laughed good-naturedly.

Both Lowell and Price have finished out two terms on the school board. Townsend will return for another four-year term; Melissa Baten Caswell and Barbara Klausner will join the school board for their first four-year term. Diane Reklis, former school board member, said, “I am very pleased with the new board members; Mandy [Lowell] and Gail [Price] were fantastic. They will now get their lives back, since being on the board is so exhausting.”

Townsend said she looks forward to her coming term but laments not working with Price and Lowell.

“I am going to miss Gail [Price] and Mandy [Lowell]. When I came they were the experienced and I was able to learn a lot from them. As a veteran this year I feel an obligation to the new comers.”

Barbara Mitchell and Dana Tom continue the next two years of their first terms. Tom reflected, “It is one of the bitter-sweet moments in the cycles of the school board, but we get to start new.”

True to Townsend’s introduction, Price reminisced, “It has been an honor to work on the school board and a privilege to work with the community. There have been many challenges over the last eight years… It will be a big transition for me since I have been on the board for eight years. We can always do better and learn from other school districts.”

Lowell sounded sad to be leaving the school board: “It is so much fun to be on the school board. It is easy because the teachers and the students are very supportive. … The new candidates are going to be a good addition. They will have the opportunity to do exciting things, especially with the new superintendent.”

The newest additions to the school board will begin their terms Dec. 11. Baten Caswell is “thrilled” at winning the election. “There is a lot of stuff to get started,” she said. “Especially the strategic plan, it will take most of the focus.”
Klausner said: “It is very exciting [being elected]. It is a huge responsibility, and I will do my best for the students and community. … There will be a lot of important decisions to be made in the years to come.”