The Nov. 4 Election Day brought a wave of new and familiar faces to school boards across San Benito County. Of the 17 school races in the county, eight garnered enough qualified candidates to appear on the ballot for a deciding vote.Â
The usually stoic and composed James Dent, co-founder behind the Navigator School brand that won over public officials in Gilroy and Hollister, was visibly shaken Wednesday night as the Santa Clara County Board of Education voted 4-3 to uphold Morgan Hill Unified’s decision to deny his organization’s charter petition.