News

Coverage of the race and our district

Stories from local press about the November 2026 MVWSD board election and the district issues shaping it. External links open the original articles.

Campaign

Candidates call for change

Front-page story by Braden Cartwright after the district settled complaints from two principals who said former superintendent Ayinde Rudolph sexually harassed them. Sundar said he was shocked and surprised by the $700,000 settlements, called for more training so employees can detect workplace issues and intervene, proposed asking the Santa Clara County Office of Education to run a reporting hotline independent of the superintendent, and suggested tying the superintendent's performance evaluation to employee satisfaction surveys. Lambert did not return a request for comment; Conley forwarded a statement from board president Charles DiFazio.

Palo Alto Daily Post (print edition, pages 1 and 26)

Campaign

MVWSD candidates weigh budget, student achievement

The Town Crier's report on the October 14 League of Women Voters forum, where all four candidates addressed the district's $8 million budget shortfall. Sundar called for examining vendor contracts more closely, using AI to personalize instruction, and more precise performance metrics that track individual student progress.

Los Altos Town Crier ↗

Election

Mountain View Whisman candidates try to move past the Ayinde Rudolph era

The Daily Post frames the race around the district's spending under former superintendent Ayinde Rudolph, who left in November 2024. The incumbents acknowledge past oversight failures; Riis stresses budgets and transparency; Sundar argues for more community engagement and for AI that helps teachers differentiate instruction, such as adapting a worksheet to different kinds of learners.

Palo Alto Daily Post ↗

Election

Don't skip the school board races on your ballot. Here's why they could be pivotal

KQED's case for reading past the top of the ticket. School boards control multimillion-dollar budgets, hire the superintendent and set curriculum and technology policy, yet their races draw little attention. Across the nine-county Bay Area, 390 candidates are running for 109 school board seats on November 3, in districts facing enrollment declines and falling test scores.

KQED ↗

Campaign

Sundar Subbarayan: Fiscal discipline and student achievement

The Voice's candidate profile. Sundar's first priority is closing the gaps where Latino and socioeconomically disadvantaged students score well below their peers, with deeper data on how and why students are struggling rather than headline test scores. He draws on managing budgets at Microsoft to argue for fiscal responsibility that protects teacher compensation, because turnover hurts student achievement.

Mountain View Voice ↗

Election

Local school board races show campaign finance gaps

In the Mountain View Whisman race, incumbent Devon Conley reported $6,183 in contributions and $2,843 in spending, and incumbent Bill Lambert reported $931, all self-funded. Challengers Sundar Subbarayan and Quintin Riis each filed a Form 470, declaring they expect to raise and spend under $2,000 this year. The Town Crier called the race's campaign activity more limited than other local board contests.

Los Altos Town Crier ↗

Election

Candidate comparison grids: MVWSD Board of Trustees

The Voice sent all four candidates a questionnaire on the district budget, technology in classrooms, and academic achievement, with answers capped at 150 characters so voters can compare positions side by side.

Mountain View Voice ↗

District

Mountain View Whisman grapples with decreasing enrollment

Enrollment is projected to fall from 4,664 students today to about 4,557 by 2031-32, driven by lower birth rates and less family-friendly housing. Smaller classes could cost the district $2 million to $3 million in lost efficiency.

Mountain View Voice ↗

District

Mountain View Whisman sets $8 million budget cut target

Administrators recommended $8 million to $8.5 million in reductions on top of the $7.4 million approved in January, citing stagnating property tax revenue. Recommendations return to the board by November 5 for a final vote by January 14.

Mountain View Voice ↗

District

Mountain View Whisman kicks off another round of budget cuts

Facing a projected $9 million deficit for 2026-27, with $122 million in revenue against $131 million in spending, the district began planning cuts that could reach classroom staff. Roughly 80% of the budget goes to salaries.

Mountain View Voice ↗

Election

Here's who will be on the ballot in Mountain View this November

The Voice's full rundown of the November 3 ballot, including the four-way race for two MVWSD board seats: incumbents Devon Conley and Bill Lambert, challenger Quintin Riis, and Sundar Subbarayan, an active volunteer in both MVWSD and the high school district.

Mountain View Voice ↗

Campaign

4 candidates vie for 2 seats on the Mountain View Whisman School District board

The Voice profiles the field after filing closed. Sundar, a former Khan Academy head of school implementations, AVID mentor at Los Altos High, and member of the district's AI committee, is running on student success, wise financial decisions, and inclusive dialogue.

Mountain View Voice ↗

Election

Mountain View Whisman school board race draws recall leader, two incumbents

Hoodline's look at the contested race notes Sundar's two children came up through Stevenson Elementary and Crittenden Middle School, and that he helped bring Khan Academy into both MVWSD and Los Altos schools.

Hoodline ↗

Campaign

Sundar Subbarayan files for MVWSD Board of Trustees

Sundar filed his candidacy paperwork with the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, joining the race for the two board seats on the November ballot.

Campaign announcement

Election

So far, only incumbents vie for Mountain View Whisman school board seats

As of late July, incumbents Devon Conley and Bill Lambert were the only candidates to pull nomination papers for the two open seats.

Mountain View Voice ↗

Election

Filing period opens July 13 for candidates in November election

The nomination window for the November 3, 2026 general election opened, with school board hopefuls filing through the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters.

Mountain View Voice ↗

District

Mountain View Whisman opts not to make more budget cuts

After months of difficult deliberations, the board decided against a further round of reductions for the coming school year.

Mountain View Voice ↗

District

School board greenlights layoffs for at least 27 district employees

Facing a structural deficit, the board approved layoff notices affecting at least 27 employees across the district.

Mountain View Voice ↗

District

Mountain View Whisman pares back budget cut proposals

District staff scaled back an initial list of proposed cuts after community feedback at board meetings.

Mountain View Voice ↗

District

Mountain View Whisman school board weighs major budget cuts

The board began weighing significant budget reductions to address a multi-year deficit — the backdrop against which this election is being run.

Mountain View Voice ↗

Articles are linked for reference; the campaign is not affiliated with the Mountain View Voice, Los Altos Town Crier, or Hoodline.