The voters have spoken and the Morgan Hill School Board has
three new members – to be sworn in Dec. 6 – plus one new appointed
member, and it looks like the new board will be a kinder, gentler
one.
The voters have spoken and the Morgan Hill School Board has three new members – to be sworn in Dec. 6 – plus one new appointed member, and it looks like the new board will be a kinder, gentler one.
If all goes as the newly elected members hope, the focus of the board will shift to academics, to the students. They have said they will have no trouble working with their fellow trustees, new and old.
Let’s hope that means they intend to put the contentiousness and name-calling that has marked board meetings and distracted the school community from addressing serious issues and becoming proactive behind them.
The first order of business is establishing the process of hiring a new superintendent. The community at large, as well as the school community need to be involved. Dissatisfaction and distrust of district leadership, the board and administration, is widespread. The community must be involved in the process in order to regain that trust and confidence.
Our new superintendent must have excellent communication skills, bridge-building abilities and a willingness to work with the new board, not lead them. It would be ideal for the new superintendent to live here in the community.
Once the new board has set the process in motion, their next step should be providing direction. A clearly defined set of goals must be established for the board and district. We need to know how they are going to be measured and who is accountable. We also need clear goals for the superintendent and the district administration; an action plan with a path for implementation and regular review.
The board has recently approved a set of goals; perhaps those can serve as a starting point for discussions with the new board. We recommend a special meeting in December or early January, perhaps a Saturday workshop, with the focus on fine tuning those goals. There needs to be direction from the beginning.
Another task requiring attention from the new board almost immediately is the proposed Coyote Valley development. We see two main issues.
The first main issue is financial: what would be the price-tag for shrinking the district, giving up revenue from increased attendance and property tax as the area is developed? And if we “keep” Coyote Valley, it also means the district ultimately will be responsible for building upwards of nine or more schools for that area.
The second issue is much more political. As Coyote Valley approaches build out with a projected 80,000 residents, coupled with the residents living in the south San Jose portion of the district, the northern part of the district will be larger than the Morgan Hill/San Martin portion. In other words, it will be residents of San Jose and the Coyote Valley who will be in the majority.
All these issues might seem overwhelming for a new board, which will have no one with more than two years of experience. But we think we are about to see a revitalization of the school district. If these new players come together and work hard, do their homework and follow through with their responsibilities, we could see the phoenix emerging from the flames.
On the surface, it appears the new board has little experience but delving deeper, one can see why the voters acted as they did. Kathleen Sullivan, who was the top vote-getter from the get-go, surprising even herself, has nine years invested in the community, with enough school activities under her belt to equal at least a part-time job.
Peter Mandel, perhaps better known first through his extremely active wife, Elizabeth, came into his own during the campaign, showing he clearly had given the district’s current situation more than passing thought and obviously had done a lot of homework.
Julia Hover-Smoot, winning in her third try, takes the prize for determination. Perhaps she was right when she told The Times that she thought the community now had come around to her way of thinking, with an emphasis on superior academics for every child. We give her credit for continuing involvement.
Don Moody, who was appointed by the current trustees to fill the two years remaining on Tom Kinoshita’s term, is another plus. He has a long history of involvement in the district in a variety of ways. He exudes a sincerity in caring for the district’s fate, as well as the knowledge gained as an active participant.
The four new trustees join Shellé Thomas, Mike Hickey and Amina Kamechi, who have proved to be quick learners, on the board.
Let’s hope all seven work together with all speed to deal with the district’s most pressing needs: the new superintendent, Coyote Valley, academics and getting the district back on a firm financial footing with clear accountability.
