No election was needed for the Sunnyvale School District board of education race, as there was no opposition for the three open slots.
Incumbents Jeffrey Arnett and Anita Herrmann ran for re-election uncontested; incumbent Sandy Agbayani did not seek re-election. The would-be challenger, Jeff Clarke, will take over Agbayani’s board seat.
Board members are typically selected by voters in the district and serve four-year terms. The district serves 6,500 students in grades K-8. There are no term limits.
The last board race election in 2011 was the first in the district to take place in several years, after previous candidates also ran uncontested in 2007 and 2009. The Sunnyvale School District switched to even-year elections in 2013 to coincide with the statewide general election. This extended Arnett’s and Herrmann’s terms from 2013 to 2014.
Arnett, Herrmann and Clarke will serve a term from 2014 to 2018. Board president Reid Myers and board member Nancy Newkirk, who were elected in 2011, will serve through 2016.
Jeff Clarke is a teacher and Sunnyvale parent. Both of his parents were Sunnyvale school teachers, and he is a graduate of Cumberland Elementary, Sunnyvale Middle, and Homestead High schools.
According to his website, Clarke oversees the drama program at Bullis Charter. He has created 24 student productions and developed and executed curriculum for grades K-8, earning him a commendation from the state of California in visual and performing arts.
He holds a degree in theater arts and began working toward a social studies teaching credential through San Jose State University in 2007.
