Before even being sworn in for his first term on the local school board, education researcher Tom Arnett pulled papers to participate in Morgan Hill Unified School District’s general election this November.
Just one month ago, Arnett won a special election over retiree Pamela Torrisi for an abbreviated term on MHUSD’s Board of Education left by the premature departure of former trustee Amy Porter-Jensen late last year.
“I was committed back in the (June) election,” said Arnett of running for re-election once his current seat expired. “It doesn’t make a lot of sense just to do a five, six-month term.”
Three expiring school board seats are up for grabs; the other two being that of Board President Bob Benevento and Trustee Rick Badillo.
Before taking his seat on the dais, Arnett had to wait until the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters certified the vote tally in order to be sworn in. That will happen prior to the Aug. 2 meeting since there were no meetings held in July.
“There’s definitely some big decisions to make,” Arnett said. “I’m excited (to join the board) in a sense that I feel like it’s a worthy challenge to take on, and I’m looking forward to it.”
One of the first orders of business will be electing a new board president and vice president. Benevento and Vice President Ron Woolf have been holding onto those titles since the current six-member board could not break a 3-all tie to determine either position earlier this year.
Arnett won an at-large seat in June. However, in a few months, MHUSD will hold its first trustee area election, after making the change due to the threat of a lawsuit from a Latino advocacy group. Instead of voting in all candidates regardless of address, voters can now only vote in election years that have a candidate within their trustee area. Candidates must also live in that trustee area if they plan to run.
Arnett, who is designated in Trustee Area 5 that is mostly in the northwest part of the district boundaries, moved his family over the Fourth of July weekend to a residence within his trustee area so he could seek another term. Those maps can be viewed on the district website, mhusd.org, under the “Find Your Trustee Area” tab.
“I’ve got (campaign) experience under my belt and more time on hand to do things,” said Arnett, who intends to get out and engage voters directly more leading into November. “I’m looking forward to a less stressful campaign this time.”
Badillo has already committed to running for re-election, filing his paperwork at the county’s registrar of voters office. He is designated in Trustee Area 6 that runs through the center of town up north.
Meanwhile, Benevento (Trustee Area 7 that runs up from San Martin) said he hasn’t yet picked up his nomination documents.
“I will probably pick up my packet in the next week or so. I just haven’t had a chance to yet,” said Benevento, who has served on the school board since first being appointed in 2011 and then elected in 2012.
The nomination period closes Aug. 12 unless an incumbent fails to file, in which case the nomination period for that seat will be extended to August 17. Interested candidates may pick up nomination documents at the district office located at 15600 Concord Circle or file with the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, located at 1555 Berger Drive in San Jose.
Board members elected in November will serve 4-year terms beginning December 2016.
Woolf (Trustee Area 2), along with Trustees Donna Ruebusch (Area 1), Gino Borgioli (Area 3) and David Gerard (Area 4), remain on the board and those four seats are set to expire in 2018.
