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Four candidates are vying for two seats on the Mountain View Whisman School District Board of Trustees this November. Incumbents Bill Lambert and Devon Conley are both running again, along with newcomers Sundar Subbarayan and Quintin Riis.
The top two vote-getters will win four-year terms on the five-member governing body, which sets the policies and overall direction of the district. They will join current trustees Charles DiFazio, Lisa Henry and Anna Reed, who each have two years left on their current terms.
To help voters compare and differentiate between the people running, the Voice sent a questionnaire to all the candidates, asking about their policy positions across a wide range of issues. The topics included the district’s budget, technology use in classrooms, and academic achievement.
The Voice allowed candidates to include brief explanations, capped at 150 characters, along with each of their answers. However, they were encouraged to only include additional information when necessary.
See below for their side-by-side responses.
Editor’s Note: Quintin Riis and Bill Lambert’s rankings of district priorities have been updated. Riis and Lambert’s rankings were initially inverted due to an error when they each filled out the questionnaire.
Seems silly to me that Devon is dodging what she will cut to avoid taking a stand and upsetting someone. It’s a deceptive dodge using a fig leaf. This Sundar person seems like a good alternative.
After 8 years my neighbor has been complaining test scores are down here at Landels, it’s probably time for a change. 8 years is a long time.
Zoe’s coverage has consistently struck me as unusually sympathetic to both the current and past MVWSD Boards. Serious controversies; including questions about the expenditure and oversight of millions of dollars in public funds, are too often omitted or minimized. Even the decision to list Devon and Bill first in these graphics, rather than alphabetically, raises questions about how the information is being presented.
Braden Cartwright’s reporting in the PA Post has been far more accurate in examining the board’s record and the issues surrounding it.
The contrast between Bill and Devon’s responses to criticism is also significant. Bill has publicly acknowledged shortcomings and expressed regret about the board’s performance. I have not seen the same level of accountability from Devon regarding the problems that occurred during her tenure. Instead, her public statements often appear focused on messaging and virtue signaling rather than directly addressing the underlying concerns.
That is a judgment and accountability issue. Public officials should answer difficult questions, acknowledge mistakes, identify warning signs, and explain what corrective action is being taken. They should not be judged solely by how effectively they present themselves.
Given the unresolved questions surrounding the board’s performance and use of taxpayer resources, there is no compelling reason to extend Devon’s access to additional public resources in any scenario.
Those resources are intended for students, teachers, and school staff. Taxpayers deserve clear answers, responsible stewardship, and evidence that past mistakes will not simply be repeated. Quintin and Sundar are the right choices here.
MVWSD Community Forum October 11 2026 Mountain View Whisman School District School Board Candidates Forum
Link: https://youtu.be/LlTJwd23NMw
Forum Questions
1. Who Should Decide What Gets Cut?
With further budget cuts approaching, let’s focus on the decision-making process rather than specific positions or programs. Should recommendations come primarily from the superintendent, independent reviewers, a districtwide task force, community input, or the board itself?
When these groups disagree, whose judgment should carry the most weight, and why? Beyond the board’s final approval, who should determine which specific cuts are proposed?
2. Personal Accountability: What Do You Regret?
Looking back on your experience as a board member, community advocate, or education professional, what is your biggest regret about a decision you made, supported, or participated in? What did you get wrong, what did you learn, and what would you do differently today?
3. Educational Technology: Beyond Screens or No Screens
Debates about technology often become debates about screen time. Yet well-designed technology, particularly AI and creation tools, may help struggling students, challenge advanced learners, and improve accessibility, even at younger ages. At the same time, much current ed-tech encourages consumption, prioritizes distraction, shortens attention spans, and increases dependence on technology to think for them.
Is there right technology right now important for K-8 students? How should MVWSD distinguish technology that genuinely improves learning from technology that undermines it?
4. What Are We Preparing Students For?
What should a K–8 education ultimately prepare students for? High school, college, careers, a global and AI-driven world, lifelong curiosity, responsible citizenship, personal well-being, or a meaningful and happy life?
These goals aren’t mutually exclusive, but limited time and resources require priorities. What should MVWSD prioritize, and what would you change about our current approach to achieve those goals?
5. Academic Achievement
The Orenda study identified achievement gaps, inconsistent instruction, and interventions that haven’t sufficiently improved outcomes for some students. MVWSD is now implementing the MVWSD Way. What is the single most important change needed to improve student learning?
How would you measure its success, particularly for struggling students, and how long should the district continue an approach before reconsidering it?
6. Preparing for a Different-Sized District
After years of planning for growth, MVWSD now faces projections of declining enrollment, potentially uneven across schools, alongside continued demand for choice programs.
Should MVWSD reconsider school configurations, attendance boundaries, campus diversity, staffing efficiency, and school redesign? What evidence and values should guide these decisions, and how should families and staff be involved?
7. What Should the Board Do Differently?
Recent scrutiny of district spending, contracting, and oversight has raised questions about accountability. While the extraordinary audit found insufficient evidence of illegal fiscal practices, it identified opportunities for improvement. Some concerns were raised early by a minority of board members or community members.
What specific practices would strengthen oversight, identify problems earlier, and rebuild public trust? How should the board distinguish between unproductive dissent and legitimate warnings, while avoiding groupthink within the majority?
8. Beyond Budget Cuts: What Excites You?
MVWSD won’t always be focused on cuts. What is one idea, innovation, or opportunity you’re excited for the district to explore, whether now, despite limited resources, or in a future with greater financial flexibility?