The parents crowded the meeting of the Fremont Union High School District board of trustees on March 1, only to find the board wanted to wait to make a decision.

Board president Homer Tong explained at the beginning of the meeting that the item would instead be discussed at a forthcoming board meeting when a representative with AT&T, the company that approached the district with the proposal, could address community concerns.

But dozens of Monta Vista parents—organized by mass emails and petitions—stuck around for the public communications segment of the agenda so they could hear their peers speak out against the proposal.

"I bought my California dream home just so my kids could go to Monta Vista. Don't turn my dream into a nightmare," Emily Wu said. Many of the speakers said they were concerned about the effects of cell phone signals on their children, both at Monta Vista and at neighboring schools, saying that there is no conclusive evidence that such signals do not harm humans.

"I don't want to allow the possibility," Wu said.

AT&T's proposal asks for permission to place two antennas on the science building at Monta Vista—one on the north roofline and one on the south. Their height hasn't been determined yet, though cell phone towers of various heights are already in place at three other district schools. The Cupertino Planning Commission has approved the Monta Vista plans.

A study conducted by consulting engineers Hammet & Edison showed that those at ground level directly underneath the antenna would be exposed to an amount of antenna signals far below the standard set forward by the Federal Communications Commission—1.7 percent of the level of public permissible exposure. Those on the second floor of the science building would be exposed to 1.4 percent of that limit, and anyone on the roof of the building would be exposed to 33 percent.

But other parents said that the worst exposure could occur in areas not outlined in the study. AT&T held additional information sessions at Monta Vista on March 8, both for teachers and parents. The Fremont Union board will discuss the issue at an upcoming meeting, the date of which has not yet been decided.