Morgan Hill Unified School District’s Board of Trustees will operate with six members until the Nov. 6 election, after unanimously agreeing to leave it up to the voters to decide Board President Tom Arnett’s replacement.
“We’re going to remain as six at this point,” said Trustee David Gerard, sharing that Board Vice President Mary Patterson will take over as president once Arnett is gone, after June 30.
Arnett, 33, an education researcher and 2002 Live Oak High School alumnus, announced last week that he was resigning from his board post at the end of June and moving out of the area. He has two years remaining on his four-year term.
“It was a total surprise,” said Gerard of Arnett’s departure. “One thing I liked about Tom is he will come to board meetings with an open mind….I appreciated Tom very much. I think it’s a loss not just for the board, but for the district and the community as well.”
Arnett’s seat will be consolidated with four other board member spots on the November ballot, after the board approved the resolution at its June 5 meeting. The trustee area seats of Donna Ruebusch, Ron Woolf, Gino Borgioli and Gerard are also set to expire in November. Arnett’s replacement will complete the current term from 2018-2020, while the other four will serve from 2018-2022.
Superintendent Steve Betando, who sought guidance from the Santa Clara County Office of Education on how to proceed, placed the “Election Order and Consolidation Request” on the June 5 agenda, which was approved through the consent calendar. Another option would have been a board appointment.
“There was no discussion about an appointment,” said Gerard, who also was not concerned about having an even number of trustees until the fall election. “I don’t think we’ll get any 3-3 (votes). I think the board will keep talking until we get a consensus.”
The candidate filing period for the November school board election is July 16 through August 10. Incumbents failing to file a Declaration of Candidacy by the Aug. 10 deadline are then prohibited from filing for the office during the extension period; and the nomination period for that office is then extended until 5pm on Aug. 15.
Arnett, who said the intense housing market led to his family’s decision to move to Southern California, first joined the board in a June 2016 at-large special election and then again in a November 2016 trustee area election.
“We have small districts now so I think we’ll have a number of candidates for each open position,” Gerard said. “I’m pretty confident there’s more positive interest in the school board than there used to be. I think it will work out fine.”
Arnett moved to Morgan Hill five years ago in 2013. He has two children, ages 7 and 8, who attended Charter School of Morgan Hill, and the youngest, age 5, who just completed the Transitional Kindergarten program at P.A. Walsh Elementary School.
