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Education Briefs

LASD makes Bullis an offer on new facilities

The Los Altos School District is waiting for a response from Bullis Charter School leaders regarding its offer for next year's classroom facilities, which was approved by trustees at the end of January.

According to Randy Kenyon, assistant superintendent of business, the district offered the same space for next school year, 2010-11, as it did for this year. Next year, however, Bullis will be opening its first-ever seventh grade class, with an added enrollment of about 21 students. Kenyon said that because all district schools are loading fuller classrooms, the charter school is being asked to do the same.

The recent offer follows a dispute over Bullis facilities that went to court last fall, and in November a judge ruled in favor of LASD. Under Proposition 39, school districts are required to supply charter schools with "reasonably equivalent" facilities.

Kenyon said the district expects to hear a response from Bullis by March 1. The two sides have until April 1 to reach a final agreement.

Students take first place, $10K at film contest

Two local students took first place last weekend for a film they created as part of the Mountain View-Los Altos School District's Freestyle program.

The film, submitted to the Bay Area Social Issues Documentary Film Contest, won Natalie Hon of Los Altos High and Emily Munos of Mountain View High the top prize, beating out more than 300 other entries. The winning film, titled "Art Works," profiles the Imagine Bus Project, an arts nonprofit dedicated to serving inner-city youth.

"Art Works" was screened at the Century Cinema in downtown San Jose, along with nine other semifinalist projects. A panel made up of TV and film industry professionals judged the films. In addition to their first place title, the students walked away with a $10,000 prize to split with the Imagine Bus Project and Freestyle.

Two other Freestyle students, Natalie Rich and Jules Walton, received an honorable mention and sixth place finish for their film "Service to the World."

To view "Art Works" or "Service to the World," visit www.freestyle.mvla.net.

— Kelsey Mesher