GAIS is seeking to revise its permit to increase enrollment from 300 to 330 students over 2 years as it has reached capacity, and outlines alternatives like finding a bigger campus or second site; it discusses implementing a "Less Cars = More Kids" strategy of promoting carpooling to reduce traffic and obtain city approval for increased enrollment, with a traffic study nearly complete and a recommendation expected from the city in November.

1. GAIS is Growing!
• Current site permit allows for 300 students/day
• We are at our enrollment cap!
• This is not enough to grow in the future
• Alternatives to manage growth are:
1. Revise permit to allow for more students on
current campus; or
• Increase to 330 students/day in 2 years
(Year 1 is 315 and Year 2 is 330)
• Increase to 400 students/day in 5 years
2. Find Bigger Campus for entire school; or
3. Find second campus (satellite)

2. Middle School Enrollment Growth
Middle school students

3. Expanding Campus Enrollment to 330
History of Events
Date Activity
< January 2010 GAIS decides to grow middle school and launch IMS
February 2011 GAIS submits application to City of Menlo Park to increase student
enrollment 330 students
March Negotiations with City begin; City requests reduction of traffic to
allow for growth
GAIS performs count of cars in morning/basic traffic study
April GAIS sends city proposal for negotation
Traffic Taskforce Formed – 1st letter sent to parents
May GAIS Parent/Staff Traffic Survey
Member’s Meeting presentation
June - Current Less Kids = More Cars Program to reduce trips initiated
June & Sept External Traffic Study for City Performed
October Traffic Study Report & Recommendation for number of trips GAIS
needs to reduce
Nov - Dec City Hearing to review GAIS request for 330 students

4. How are we working towards Approval
of 330 Students?
• GAIS needs to overcome City political issue of
traffic congestion in the Willows Neighborhood of
Menlo Park
• If 330 approved, we expect it to be conditional
with a limit on the number of car trips per day
• GAIS needs to prove to City that:
1. We can continuously monitor car trips
2. We can accurately report traffic flow
3. We can control, monitor and report to the City the
number of cars coming into the school
• Therefore, Less Cars = More Kids program

5. Less Cars = More Kids Strategy
• GAIS wants to establish the principle that Menlo
Park should allow us to grow if we can offset the
traffic impacts.
• Trip Reduction is cheap compared to the
alternatives of a new campus for the middle
school, preschool, or whole school.
• Carpooling is the cheapest trip reduction
measure.
• In 2010-2011, less than 10% of families carpooled
to school.

6. GAIS has lots of carpool potential
Number of families

7. Next Steps
• A GAIS-specific traffic study required by the
City of Menlo Park is nearly complete.
• City staff will make recommendations about
the GAIS use permit cap to the City Council in
Nov. The City Council will hear public
comment in Nov.
• More to come….

8. Optimistic Future
• Obtain a Student Shuttle for Caltrains
transport & Field Trips
• Carpooling would become the school culture
• Continue with parking placards and
monitoring & reporting car trips to the city
going forward