After reversing its decision to keep the seat vacant, the governing board for the La Cañada Unified School District selected former board member Andrew Blumenfeld to join its ranks.
Blumenfeld, a Princeton University alumnus who served on the board from 2011-15, was chosen unanimously on July 8 and sworn in on Tuesday. In a written statement that was submitted with his application, he said he would not run for election in November, which means he will only hold the position for about four months.
“I believe the vacancy should be filled by someone who can hit the ground running and add immediate value during this consequential time, while not further adding to the plate of the superintendent with the task of onboarding a new member,” he said in the statement.
Blumenfeld, who taught at Crown Preparatory Academy in Los Angeles and made an unsuccessful bid for the California State Assembly, is also the co-founder of CallTime.AI, a political technology company.
Governing Board President Joe Radabaugh expressed surprise that the group had selected a new member so quickly. He said that, considering the caliber of the 10-applicant pool — which included former Paradise Canyon Elementary School Principal Donna Robinson and former La Cañada Flintridge Educational Foundation President Josh Epstein — he had expected to see at least a few tie votes.
“But,” he added during the meeting, “I think Andrew clearly has a lot of the things we’re looking for, besides the other things like intelligence and communication skills and [being] very articulate — he knows the district, he has a great network. I’m very pleased that we end up with Andrew.”
Board members said they were looking for someone who had experience working with the district, allowing them to help address its concerns more readily than a person with little prior exposure.
Cindy Wilcox, a former board member, also endorsed Blumenfeld during the meeting’s public comment portion.
The seat was vacated after board Vice President Ellen Multari stepped down at the end of May, announcing that her family was moving out of the district. The board initially opted to hold an interview process to fill the seat temporarily, but on June 17 said that it would instead leave the seat vacant until voters elected a new member in November.
After some opposition from the community, including an online petition asking that the board choose a fifth member, the panel returned to its original decision.
“I think at our June meetings, when we closed, there was a sense of unease,” said Superintendent Wendy Sinnette, addressing the room. “And I think that the board listened to the community and determined to go back to this process. I can’t tell you just how appreciative I am for your collective decision-making and your leadership.”
