Parent Sarah Gadus will represent Area 3

MHUSD Board President Adam Escoto swears in Sarah Northrup Gadus, who was appointed to represent Area 3. Photo by Kaylee Arca

By Kaylee Arca

Sarah Northrup Gadus

In a 5-1 vote, the Morgan Hill Unified School District Board of Education appointed P.A. Walsh STEAM Academy parent Sarah Northrup Gadus to fill the Area 3 seat at an Aug. 27 special meeting.

The seat was previously held by Terri Knudsen who resigned in July because she and her husband moved out of Morgan Hill. Gadus will hold the provisional Area 3 seat for the remainder of the term through December 2026.

The board chose Gadus because of her perspective as a current MHUSD parent and experience managing funds as the HSC treasurer. During the five years her children have attended P.A. Walsh, Gadus has served as the Home and School Club treasurer for three years and as the School Site Council secretary for four years.

Gadus also volunteered for several months at the El Toro Boys and Girls Club in 2016 as a weekly Teen Night chaperone, according to her application. During the 2017-2018 school year, she worked for Morgan Hill Art School as an assistant to a teacher in after-school art classes at Jackson Academy of Math and Music.

In her application, she wrote that as treasurer at P.A. Walsh, at the school’s summer camp this year she successfully managed a dispute of payment to the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, saving $6,688 in a fee.

Besides Gadus, the board interviewed three other applicants: Art Cohen, Heather Orosco, and Anahita Yazdi. The first two candidates gave an opening statemen, then answered five questions.

Photo by Kaylee Arca

In a surprise declaration, Yazdi used her opening statement to endorse Gadus and withdraw her application. She is a Paradise Valley Engineering Academy parent and originally applied for the opening to ensure Area 3 would have a candidate who represents the interests of parents, students, and teachers, she said.

“I’m beyond happy and grateful to see tonight that we have another great parent candidate who is also up for the challenge,” Yazdi told the trustees. “She’s a hard worker, and I had the privilege of talking to her more and I just heard nothing but good things also through other channels. The choice tonight should be clear to all (the board members).”

Gadus was nervous during her public interview and paused a few times to take a deep breath.

“So why do I want to be a trustee?” she said in her interview. “I’m passionate about public education. I am committed to my community, and I want to make a meaningful impact on our schools and the students and families that they serve.”

In her application, she wrote her priorities include improving educational outcomes, fiscal stability, inclusive policies that benefit all students regardless of their ability or circumstance, and staff retention to help make MHUSD a positive place to work where people want to stay and spend their career.

“I feel like I have a unique perspective because I am a parent in our schools,” she said. “I am not just dedicated to my own children, but  the children of the whole community, which is why I chose to send my children to Walsh because I knew that I could roll my sleeves up and make a difference.”

Public education is the most inspiring of all American achievements and the most critical to its promise of equality, she wrote in her application.

“One of its guiding principles is to provide an equitable education, regardless of a student’s background, ability, or family situation. American public education is open to all, and while we may have different needs, we benefit from investing in this public good.”

Public comments from meeting attendees also supported Gadus’ application.

“I have had the privilege of knowing Sarah for seven years, and I can confidently say she embodies all the necessary qualities and more,” Diana Muttalif told the board. “Sarah has a unique viewpoint as both a parent of students in our district and as a leader in her school community. This dual role provides her with invaluable insight into the day-to-day realities of our school system, allowing her to identify opportunities for growth and improvement others might overlook.”

In the final decision, Board President Adam Escoto voted for Cohen. The room erupted in applause for Gadus who was sworn in by Escoto.

“I’m excited we’re now a full board of seven,” Escoto said. “And more than that, just hearing Sarah’s involvement with her school, in particular, and not just her involvement, but the level of involvement, taking leadership positions. So, I’m thrilled she’s coming on board.”

Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers President Jim Levis supports Gadus joining the board and praises her years of active involvement at P.A. Walsh.

“I was just happy that the board decided to appoint someone and look forward to working with Trustee Gadus and moving forward with her,” he said. “I think she brings a great view of a parent, of the children in the district and so she’s very focused on having solid education programs and getting us back on financial, on the solid financial footing.”

Gadus looks forward to her new role as a trustee.

“I love public education,” she said. “I love neighborhood schools, and I loved getting to serve my own school and now I have an opportunity to serve the whole district.”

Kaylee Arca is a freelance reporter based in Morgan Hill.