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Superintendent Nellie Meyer plans to retire at the end of the school year after five years leading the Mountain View Los Altos Union High School District (MVLA), she announced in a message on Friday, March 22.
Meyer joined MVLA in 2019 and has helmed the high school district during a period that included the COVID-19 pandemic, major bond-funded construction projects and new principals at each of the high schools.
In an interview with the Voice, Meyer spoke fondly about her time in the district, describing it as a wonderful place to work, in a community that prioritizes and supports youth.
“I’m feeling proud of the work accomplished, but of course (it’s) bittersweet because I have had the opportunity to work with so many wonderful people,” Meyer said.
Meyer came to MVLA from the Mount Diablo Unified School District in the East Bay, where she was superintendent for six years. She previously worked in San Diego.
Her retirement comes after more than 35 years as an educator, according to her retirement announcement.
School board President Sanjay Dave praised Meyer’s tenure as superintendent, and said that the board members were surprised and disappointed when she told them of her retirement plans, but that they understood her decision.
“We’re very sorry to see her go,” Dave said. “She’s been a wonderful superintendent for our district, for our community, for our students.”
The school board plans to hire an outside consulting company to conduct a search for a new superintendent, following the same process that the district has used in the past, Dave said.
An impactful five years at MVLA
As superintendent, Dave said that Meyer made positive changes in the district and improved communication between the school board, district staff and teachers’ union.
“She brought everyone together – the community, the students, her staff and the teachers union,” Dave said. “They were able to all work very well together under her.”
Not long after Meyer joined MVLA, there was a public dispute between the school board and teachers’ union over changes to the school calendar. The school board ultimately backtracked and passed a calendar that the union supported.
The COVID-19 pandemic and widespread shutdowns also began within her first year on the job, upending the education system as school campuses closed and classes moved online.
Schools ultimately remained largely shuttered for the rest of the semester, and for much of the 2020-21 school year, before reopening in the spring of 2021.
Dave described Meyer as instrumental in helping get students back into the classroom and in having on-campus COVID-19 vaccinations and testing available.
Meyer said the pandemic showed her the resilience of the MVLA community. She praised teachers for working to engage with students despite the difficulties, as students for continuing to make progress in their classes. At the same time, Meyer said that the pandemic’s impacts are still being measured, and that the district remains attuned to how students are recovering from that time.
Looking back over the past five years, Meyer said that she is proud of the district’s partnerships with community organizations, including the local chambers of commerce, rotary clubs, MVLA Foundation and PTSAs.
She also pointed to the district’s work to expand Career Technical Education programs, which prepare students for specific careers, as a point of pride.
The district has also undertaken large-scale construction projects on its campuses, funded by the $295 million Measure E bond that voters passed in 2018. The upgrades include new administrative buildings at both Mountain View and Los Altos high schools, as well as a new campus for Freestyle Academy, an art and digital media program.
As for retirement, Meyer said that she doesn’t have specific plans beyond spending time with her family. She added that she’s focused on her remaining months on the job.
“I’m really looking forward to enjoying these last few months – visiting classrooms and continuing to see the great work that’s happening here,” Meyer said.