Cupertino Facts

Category: Sheila Mohan

  • Save CUSD, Save Home Values

     

    It’s no secret that homes in Cupertino command a significant premium due to the stellar reputation of CUSD schools. However, due to the anti-children policies of the CUSD board, 33% of all eligible children are now attending private schools. This number has grown 3x in the past decade. 

    With parents fleeing CUSD due to lower desirability of schools, our home values are at risk.

     

    One of the big reasons for the flight was the mismanagement by CUSD including overcrowding, and the deeply unpopular decision to close three campuses on extremely flimsy and unsubstantiated grounds. In order to restore vitality to CUSD, it’s critical that we do not close any more schools, and  reopen the recently closed campuses.

     

    In order to secure the future of our children and preserve home values, please do NOT vote for any candidate who is  supported (eg: campaign funding, endorsed) by those who spear-headed the effort to close our schools or construction interests who covet the land under our schools

     

    To preserve home values, please VOTE for Govind Tatachari, Liang Chao, and Steven Scharf for Cupertino City Council, and Darcy Paul, Satheesh Madhathil & Jerry Liu for CUSD Board. They have taken a public stand to keep school closure off the table and roll back the past decisions. They are not funded by external special-interests and will keep the interests of residents foremost.

     

     

    Please do NOT vote for JR Fruen, Sheila Mohan for Cupertino City Council, and Ava Chiao (CUSD).  They have been supportive of school closure and giving the land to developers, and have strong endorsements from the three CUSD trustees who closed the schools.  They have also receive extensive funding from construction interests, who covet the land our schools stand on. 

  • Home Values will Decline with CUSD Decline

     It is no secret that homes in CUSD command a premium to neighboring communities because of the high quality of schools. Real Estate listings in Cupertino specifically mention the Cupertino schools the children in the home will attend.

    But This May Not Last Forever

    In 2021 CUSD shut down three school campuses claiming a financial shortfall, even though their own projections show a surplus of over 39 Million dollars over the next five years.
    CUSD has the most crowded schools in Silicon Valley

    And parents are now increasingly sending their children to private schools
    The percentage of children in CUSD who are attending private schools has been rising dramatically. It has tripled in the past decade.
    The word is getting out that in spite of their high test scores, the overall educational experience being offered in CUSD is falling below the standards parents expect. 
    And they are voting with their wallets, by spending tens of thousands of dollars every year to send their children to private schools.

    Home Values Impacted Negatively

    This trend of falling confidence in CUSD schools will impact home values negatively since one of the primary reason homes command high value is not as relevant any more.

    We have already observed this with homes in parts of Sunnyvale School District (Cumberland area) commanding similar prices to homes in Cupertino, for homes of comparable size and age. A decade ago these homes used to about 15-20% less expensive than Cupertino.

    Preserve Home Values: Restore Vitality in CUSD Schools

    In order to ensure that Cupertino homes command a premium value, it is important to preserve the quality of CUSD schools. 
    • We need to roll back school closures
    • We need to plan for additional capacity as the thousands of homes in the pipeline are built
    Updated 12/25/2022

  • Sheila Mohan: Sponsored by those who Closed CUSD Schools!

    Sheila Mohan is one of the candidates for the Cupertino City Council Elections. 
    Is she the right choice for our city?

    Supported by those who forced CUSD School Closure

    • Councilwomen Hung Wei expressed strong opposition to the City Council writing to CUSD to review their decision to close schools. Hung Wei is actively campaigning for Sheila
    • Sheila is endorsed by CUSD board member Sylvia Leong who advocated  for school closure.

    She has little skin in the game to empathize with the children and parents who are affected by CUSD anti-children decisions.

    Why is Sheila Running?

    Sheila’s last term as a commissioner ended more than 15 years ago (Jan 2007, Library Commission). .

    Embezzlement Scam

    In 2013-2014 Sheila was employed by the City of Cupertino as Finance Director; this overlapped with the period where there was a major embezzlement scam in the city ($790K). She has conveniently chosen not to mention that even though that was her most recent engagement with the city! 
    And a recent audit of the city’s processes showed big gaps in financial processes something the Finance Director overseas.
    As residents’ we did wonder why Sheila who had withdrawn her engagement with the city many years ago, chose to run for City Council in 2022?

    But the mystery seems to have cleared itself!

    A recent article Sheila says, that she is running because some people asked her to run!
    “So, when longterm city leaders asked her to run for office, Mohan polled her family. They were all in.  Mohan says her 14 year old granddaughter supported her decision so she could “tell my friends that my grandmother is running for city council!”

    Sheila is also endorsed by ex-mayors who were on city council when the embezzlement occurred, and who are endorsing the school-closures.

    Campaign Paid for By…

    A Google Search for Sheila Mohan resulted in an advertisement paid for Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez’ campaign for Mayor of San Jose!

    Her campaign has a lot of construction industry interests, including air-conditioning and electrical companies, plumbing unions, and ex-officials who have been promoting the school closing trustees.

    Sheila is also NOT participating int he City of Cupertino’s Voluntary Campaign Expenditure Limit Program.

    Questions to Think About?:
    Why does her campaign has to be financed by an out of town politician?
    Why her donors include construction industry and unions?
     Why she is not participating in the voluntary campaign spending limit program?

    It is obvious that Sheila is running to rubber-stamp investor interests.

    Is Sheila the Right Choice?

    Sheila’s outreach towards the community has been limited, her website does not have much specifics on policy positions and also hides that she was the Finance Director when the embezzlement was happening.
    Given what is at stake here, we the residents should not take a chance on a candidate whose campaign is being sponsored by those advocating for CUSD school closure.

    Please vote for those who have a taken public stand against school closure.


    Please vote for Govind Tatachari, Steven Scharf & Liang Chao for Cupertino City Council

    Together they can take steps to roll-back the school closure, and also prepare the City to welcome future residents, who will make the many thousands of new residences in the pipeline, their home.