The seat of board President Dorothy Rouse, a retired teacher and longtime Los Gatos resident, is also up for re-election, but Rouse has indicated that she won't be running.

Granas has lived in Monte Sereno for the last nine years. He has two children who attend Los Gatos High School and who previously went through Daves Avenue Elementary School and Raymond J. Fisher Middle School.

"I am concluding my first four-year term. I was encouraged by the current board members, the mayor of Los Gatos and councilmen from both Monte Sereno and Los Gatos to run again," Granas said. "I think it takes time to become a fully contributing board member, and I would like to build on the experience I gained in my first term."

If re-elected, Granas hopes to continue to emphasize accountability in everything the district does, from education to fiscal responsibility. He also wants to ensure the district maximizes its resources and continues renovations on budget and on schedule at Blossom Hill, Daves Avenue and Lexington elementary schools.

Modernization projects have been completed at Louise Van Meter Elementary School and Fisher. A grand opening is being planned at Fisher sometime in late October. Blossom Hill and Daves are still undergoing architectural development, with plans expected to be finished and ready to go to bid in early spring of 2005. No decision has been reached as to which school will be modernized first, said Jim Silva, district director of facilities, planning and construction. Interim housing plans at each site have also not been decided.

Granas went on to explain that he's both qualified and experienced to serve another term. Prior to his service on the school board, Granas was a board member of the Los Gatos Education Foundation.

Miller is the only candidate running for the board who is also a credentialed teacher. He has lived in Los Gatos his entire life and is a product of the district's schools. By having experience in the classroom, Miller said he understands the issues teachers face every day. He also substitutes at many of the district's elementary schools and is working to earn his master's degree in education from Santa Clara University.

"I received an excellent education at the schools I attended," he said. "The idea of serving my community has been a cornerstone of my life. It is a logical extension to continue to serve the community and the schools by running for the school board."

If elected, Miller said, he'll work to maintain the high quality of education that Los Gatos families have come to expect. He'll also be looking for new opportunities to improve the quality of education and is committed to finding creative funding sources in a district that's becoming increasingly dependent on parents to fund programs.

Miller is a member of the district's bond oversight committee, a board member on Art Docents of Los Gatos and a steering committee member of the district's bond oversight and parcel tax campaigns. He is also involved with the "Alive ... and Loving Life" leadership group, Fisher's Club Live, Leadership Los Gatos and Los Gatos High School's Theater Improvement Project committee.

Sanders Noe is a business administrator at the Los Gatos United Methodist Church. She was born and raised in Saratoga and is a graduate of Saratoga High. She and her husband have two children who attended Lexington and now attend Fisher and Los Gatos High.

"My leadership and business background makes me a strong candidate for the school board," she said. "I have led two successful parcel tax campaigns [in 1998 and 2002], working alongside district partners and coordinating over 100 volunteers."

Sanders Noe has been president of both the Los Gatos Education Foundation and Lexington's Home and School Club. She is also a past recipient of the district's Volunteer of the Year award.

"My goal is to strengthen our district schools, ensuring that we foster academic excellence for all our students in a secure and caring school environment," she said.

Sanders Noe said she's hoping to maintain a fiscally sound budget and offer effective and consistent communication among parents, teachers and the community. She also hopes to attract and retain highly qualified and skilled teachers, while keeping class sizes small.

The community will have a chance to meet and hear from these candidates in a forum called "Which way to vote?" on Oct. 20 at 6:45 p.m. in the Los Gatos High School library. The event is sponsored by the Southwest Santa Clara Valley League of Women Voters, Los Gatos Weekly-Times, Los Gatos Union School District's Home and School clubs, American Association of University Women and Los Gatos High's Home and School Club.