GILROY
– As the school district kicks off a month-long planning process
tonight that will determine its future goals, several school board
members may not be around to see that plan implemented.
GILROY – As the school district kicks off a month-long planning process tonight that will determine its future goals, several school board members may not be around to see that plan implemented.
Three of seven school board seats will be up for grabs in November, and at least one trustee whose term ends this year hasn’t decided if he will seek re-election.
The seats of trustees John Gurich, Bob Kraemer and Board President Jaime Rosso are up for re-election on Nov. 2. The nomination period for candidates begins July 12 and ends Aug. 6.
Although the filing deadline is months away, a new candidate has entered the ring: Robert Bickle, the father of two Gilroy Unified School District students, says he will run.
Rosso – who is nearing completion of his first four-year term – said he wants to keep his seat for another four years, while Gurich is anticipating a run for re-election. Kraemer, however, said it’s too early to make a decision.
“I’ve anticipated (running) all along, going for a second term,” Rosso said. “And the main thing is, I’m kind of committed to the project, and I feel like it’s taken me a while to get where I can really know something, to really contribute.”
The furniture stores owner said his board experience will pay off if he is elected to another term.
“It’s a challenging job, and I enjoy it,” he said. “And I think that as we go forward and things are difficult, that you will benefit from having experience on the board.”
First-term candidate Gurich agreed that “it takes two or three years just to get your feet wet,” although he left open the possibility of opting out of the race.
“I believe I will (run),” he said. “It all depends on what the community comes up with and who decides to run.”
As GUSD continues to implement its 25-year, $160-million Facilities Master Plan, Gurich said he wants to be part of the process, particularly when it comes to building a second high school.
“That’s one of the reasons I’d run – to open that new high school,” said Gurich, who teaches in a San Jose school district.
Kraemer said he doesn’t know whether he will seek re-election.
“I haven’t made the decision,” he said. “There’s a lot of water going to go underneath the bridge between now and then.”
The “retired” trustee is completing his fifth year on the dais while acting as board president for Bonfante Gardens’ Board of Directors, among other activities.
“I think there’s many, many things that might influence my decision,” Kraemer said. “Surely, getting past the current pressure situation in getting things resolved with Bonfante Gardens (is one of those.)
“I’m not prepared to think about it at this stage, and I don’t want to think about it for another couple months.”
The upcoming school board race is sure to spark discussion about prioritizing core academic subjects like English and math at the expense of other subjects, like science and physical education.
“There’s always the question of raising the bar,” Gurich said.
Rosso said he looks forward to a healthy debate.
“It’s interesting that there’s a lot of people that have a lot to say, and that’s good,” he said. “I think the more input people give, the better we get. I may not agree with all the criticisms that come down the pipe, but I respect the right to make them.”
Some of those criticisms will likely be coming from Bickle, who says more needs to be done to make Gilroy schools a source of pride.
“The primary reason is I look at the Gilroy Unified School District and I see that they’ve made some improvements year after year, but the rate of those improvements doesn’t seem to be keeping pace with the community,” he said.
“The decisions being made by the school board seem to be focused on the political issues … and not focused on the classroom and what will effect the students’ lives.”
Bickle, a Gilroy resident for nearly four years, has two sons in GUSD schools and volunteers as a middle school Saturday enrichment instructor, teaching an aviation class at the San Martin Airport.
“I kind of have a tendency to lead by example,” he said.
When the race heats up this fall, Bickle hopes to chime in on the question of whether too much emphasis is being placed on test scores.
“I see programs that teach the whole child or address all the talents that every kid has,” he said. “I believe if you engage a whole student, your test scores will be a natural product of that.”
There is no limit to the number of terms a trustee may serve on the school board. Kraemer will serve at least five years because he was nominated to a vacant seat in 1999 before being elected in 2000.
This will be the second school board election since the implementation of at-large trustee seats, rather than “country” versus “city” seats.
For decades, the three country seats garnered little or no interest and many country candidates went unopposed while city races attracted numerous candidates. Candidates had to live in the designated area, but voting was at large.
Rosso, Gurich and Kraemer all hold what were country seats in 2000.
“I surely was a champion to change that, and am very happy it was changed, even if it could make it more difficult for somebody running from the (country),” Kraemer said.
