Three candidates are vying for two seats on the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District Board of Trustees: Vadim Katz, Alex Levich and Li Zhang.
Trustees Phil Faillace and Sanjay Dave, who have served on the board since 1996 and 2016, respectively, opted not to run for reelection.
The upcoming Nov. 5 election will likely be the last MVLA election based on an at-large system, as the board voted 5-0 in September to begin transitioning into using an area-centered system focused on trustee areas. This decision, born in part out of an attempt to avoid a potential lawsuit under the California Voting Rights Act, will take effect in the November 2026 election.
The Post spoke with the candidates about their experience and policy positions, discussing topics ranging from the achievement gap to communication and transparency.
Katz is a software engineer and father of two children who both attend Mountain View public schools. He said he decided to run for the school board in order to play a larger role in supporting the MVLA student body, and said he’d do so by focusing on three key areas: physical, mental and emotional safety, individualized education and supporting teachers.
Katz is passionate about investigating the role social media plays in the lives of students, having noticed how time-consuming mobile devices can be to his own kids. As such, he believes that believes now is the time to help kids learn to deal with distractions.
“How can we help kids learn how to deal with those distractions early, where their failures are not as painful as they would be once, for example, somebody goes to college and fails their classes?” Katz said
In order to ensure the development and maintenance of safe routes to MVLA schools, Katz suggested collaborating with city officials more directly, with aims of improving and modernizing bike lanes and walkways.
Katz also wants to focus on giving every MVLA student a personalized, effective educational experience that both challenges them and helps them grow. He believes the best way to do this is by recognizing the varying needs of students in the district.
“Everybody’s coming from a different background,” Katz said. “Having a single approach for all is not going to work, because it’s going to be too challenging for some and too easy for others.”
Katz’s background as a leader in engineering has taught him how to help others locate and access relevant opportunities, he said. He plans to apply this skill in his work as a trustee, connecting students with opportunities in collaboration with teachers and administrators.
“If I’m elected, then I will be working towards enabling both adults to be supportive of the kids … and to create opportunities for the kids to take advantage of so that they can continue growing,” Katz said.
Levich works in the tech industry, is a business owner, served as a Bowman School trustee for three years and is the mother of two children who will be part of the MVLA school district within a few years. Her priorities include maintaining the district’s dedication academic excellence while also expanding the schools’ mental health services, rethinking communication systems and prioritizing fiscal responsibility.
While Levich commends the current MVLA investments for the on-campus wellness centers, she said she would like the district to continue investing in effective mental health-related investing toward peer support networks.
“We also have to focus on proactive prevention programs that really foster emotional wellbeing from an early stage,” Levich said.
Levich also emphasized the importance of clear communication between the board and MVLA families, noting that many parents feel their feedback isn’t taken into account in board decisions. As a trustee, she said she’d prioritize establishing better methods for parents to submit feedback and increase transparency surrounding decisions.
Her experience as a trustee, combined with her background in the tech industry, has taught her how to make informed decisions with limited information and unite people with diverse personalities and perspectives to reach consensus.
“[On the board] you have five different people making decisions. You have an administration that has lots of input. You have the city councils,” Levich said. “So you sort of bring all of these folks together and lead them to a better future.”
With a Ph.D. in chemistry and a career in finance, Zhang said her background provides her with the “analytical skills and financial expertise” needed for responsible resource management. Her main goals include expanding academic and life skills education, integrating outdoor and nature-based learning, strengthening family-school partnerships and ensuring fiscal transparency.
Zhang immigrated to the United States in 1991 and raised her family in Mountain View, where her son attended school in both the Los Altos and MVLA school districts.
“I’ve seen firsthand the high-quality education and opportunities our schools provide,” Zhang said. “As a strong believer in public education, I want to ensure every student continues to benefit from that same level of excellence.”
Beyond her professional background as a senior manager at Tesla and the Vice Chair of the LASD Bond Oversight Committee, Zhang said she has also been involved with the local school community through serving on the Family Partnership Council and Teatime Club at Mountain View High.
To expand academic opportunities, Zhang aims to broaden available programs so that students can explore a wide range of interests, preparing students for success “beyond the classroom,” she said. Zhang said she also hopes to tackle the achievement gap seen in the district by developing targeted programs that specifically aim to support underserved student groups.
“I am passionate about being an advocate for students and families, and I look forward to the opportunity to serve on the MVLA School Board,” Zhang said. “Together, we can work towards a brighter future for our community, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to succeed and thrive.”
