Three Morgan Hill school trustees up for re-election, from left to right: Julia Hover-Smoot, Peter Mandel and Kathy Sullivan. While Mandel has expressed interest in running again, Hover-Smoot and Sullivan are not sure whether they will run for re-election.
Two of three Morgan Hill school district trustees up for reelection this November are unsure of whether or not they're going to run again.
They are Morgan Hill Unified School District Board of Education members Julia Hover-Smoot and Kathy Sullivan.
Trustees develop and evaluate the district's philosophy and goals. They generally meet twice a month and are expected to visit schools, meet with parents, among other responsibilities. Once elected, trustees serve for four years.
"I will only run if I think I can devote the kind of time this job truly demands and so I am thinking carefully about another term," said Hover-Smoot in an e-mail to the Times.
In her second four-year term and president of the board, Hover-Smoot said one of the difficult things about the post is the time commitment.
"We not only attend meetings, we prepare for them, attend school functions, read endlessly, answer dozens of e-mails every week, respond to phone calls and trouble shoot when needed," she added. "To do a good job of being a board member is to spend a lot of time on the job."
Sullivan, who's finishing her first term, said she will run if she and her husband stay in Morgan Hill. He's currently looking for a job so they may look outside district limits to live.
"I would love to run again," Sullivan said.
Sullivan said the board's strongest contribution has been choosing a new superintendent, something she was faced with at the beginning of her term four years ago.
Peter Mandel is the third trustee whose term is up; he could not be reached for comment by press time.
Interested, but not sure about the position?
Attend the Santa Clara County School Boards Association Candidates' Workshop on June 7. Current school board members will be on board to talk about the roles and responsibilities of school board service, and a representative from the Registrar of Voters will speak about campaign filing.
Other board responsibilities include establishing policies and setting a direction for the district.
"Our public schools continue to be the centerpiece of our community and the education of all our children remains our number one priority," said MHUSD Superintendent Alan Nishino. "Being a part of your local school board allows you to truly make a difference in students' lives."
Eligible candidates must be 18 years of age or older, California citizens, Morgan Hill Unified School District residents and registered voters.
To become a candidate, individuals must fill out a Declaration of Candidacy form, which can be obtained and filed at the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters at 1555 Berger Drive, Building 2, San Jose, CA, 95108.
Applying is free, but would pay per word for including a statement in the Voter Pamphlet. Statements are optional and the maximum allowed words is 200. The Registrar of Voters estimate for a 200-word statement is $1,800.
The candidate filing period is July 14 through August 8.
Want to run for school board?
■ What: Santa Clara County School Board Association Candidates' Workshop
■ When: June 7, 9 a.m. to 12 noon
Where: Berryessa District Office, 1376 Piedmont Road, San Jose
■ Why: To learn more about serving on the school board
Natalie Everett Natalie Everett covers education and city issues for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106, ext. 201, or neverett@morganhilltimes.com.
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