Two incumbents have filed to run for November election
Gilroy – Four Gavilan College school board seats are up for grabs, but as of Tuesday no one had filed to compete in the community college’s Gilroy sector, while five individuals are vying for two of five seats in the San Benito County district.
Incumbents Kent Child and Elvira Robinson, both trustees for District 3, which represents San Benito County, have already dropped off papers at the registrar’s office. And three new candidates including Dee Brown, educator/Realtor; Angie De La Cruz, parent; and Reba M. Jones, retired educator, have filed for the District 3 race.
Thus far, incumbent Laura Perry is the sole candidate vying for a seat in District 2, the north end of Santa Clara County including Coyote Valley and Morgan Hill. And in District 1 or Gilroy, not a single candidate has filed.
Incumbent and vice president of the board Deb Smith is up for reelection in District 1 but has yet to file. She did not return calls as of presstime.
Child, who spent 40 years as a faculty member and dean at Gavilan College, was appointed to the board last year to complete the term of a trustee who resigned early. The Hollister resident is looking forward to serving a full-term on the board.
“Probably the thing that excites me the most is to continue serving the community the college serves,” Child said.
If elected, Child said he wants to ensure that Gavilan continues to play a significant role in the long range planning of the area, which includes acquiring land for future growth and to “enrich the resources and opportunities of the district rather than destroy them.”
Perry, a Morgan Hill lawyer, has served on the board for 14 years. As a trustee she plans to help guide the district as it grows.
“(We’re) in the process of purchasing more land and building facilities to (keep up with) projected growth,” she said.
Robinson, a retired lawyer, has served on the board for 16 years. The Hollister resident said she’s not surprised that so many San Benito County residents threw their name in the pool since everything is going so well at Gavilan College.
“The priority, of course, is the new campus in Hollister and of course having a good budget, a strong budget, that’s always important,” she said.
Child, Perry and Robinson both mentioned Measure E, the $108-million bond approved by voters in March of 2004, saying the process is going well and the bond is pushing forward all of the necessary renovations.
