Although locals are angry, board members aren’t about to change
their minds
Gilroy – Despite an outpouring of support for the Gilroy High School Cheerleaders, the school board isn’t planning to reconsider the approval of a field trip to Hawaii to perform during the National Football League’s annual Pro Bowl game.
Team advisor Jeanne Baumgartner said she was disappointed by the board’s decision but thanked the community for standing by the cheerleading squad.
“It means a lot to us, even if we can’t go, that they’ve gotten the publicity and a very supportive response from the community,” she said.
James Geiger, one of the many locals who has raised his voice for the squad, was livid after learning that the high school cheerleading squad won’t be heading to the Pro Bowl this winter.
He steamed all weekend before finally sitting down and putting his thoughts on paper.
“I think I’ve written two letters to the editor in my life and that was one of them,” Geiger said. “It just really irritated me.”
The main element of the whole issue that incensed the Gilroy resident is what he referred to as the “arrogance” of the GUSD board. Before the vote he had no preconceived notions about candidates, but now he knows he won’t be casting a vote for Tom Bundros who’s up for reelection.
“I just think it’s common sense that needs to prevail here,” Geiger said, adding that he hopes the board reconsiders its position and allows the varsity spirit team to participate in the Hawaii competition.
But the likelihood of that happening is slim.
“We knew that that board meeting was it,” said Alexis Dalke, a GHS cheerleader and school president. “It’s pretty much a done deal, unfortunately.”
The original registration deadline was Sept. 22 but Baumgartner talked to the company today and after hearing their story agreed to accept their deposit no later than Monday. But that would entail overnighting the money to the island today. The company has a tight deadline because hotel rooms need to be booked in advance.
Also, the boardmembers who denied the field trip request said they might change their minds if the trip is reconfigured so the girls wouldn’t miss three consecutive days of school. But that option was ruled out because if the students don’t participate in the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday practices they can’t compete Saturday.
Dalke said they can still hope since there is a minute possibility that if all the spots aren’t filled in February and the board changes its mind, that they can head to the tropical island.
“It’s too bad that the community didn’t know about it earlier because now they’re expressing their concerns,” she said.
Superintendent Edwin Diaz said the only way for the the field trip to be reconsidered is if the board itself initiates it.
The controversy arose when the request landed at the district office and district officials rejected the cheerleading squad’s request to attend the February competition after GHS Principal James Maxwell placed his stamp of approval on the field trip.
The squad appealed the decision and the board had a chance to decide whether the 11 girls should be granted permission to attend the trip. Five of the seven trustees, Javier Aguirre, Rhoda Bress, Tom Bundros, Pat Midtgaard and Jaime Rosso, said three days out of the classroom is too much and backed the district’s denial of the field trip.
Trustees David McRae and Jim Rogers voted in favor of letting the girls attend the field trip. The five board members based their decision on a policy, approved in June of last year, that discourages field trips resulting in an excessive loss of class time.
Critics of the policy pointed out that it’s misleading and vague since it doesn’t define exactly how many days absent is considered excessive. But Bress said the policy was designed to be flexible and take into consideration that GUSD educates students in grades kindergarten through 12.
“I think you have to allow for a certain flexibility,” she said, adding that what’s appropriate for second-graders is quite different than what’s suitable for high school juniors.
“It can vary by class, it can vary by grade level,” Bress said. “It can vary by the actual nature of the trip.”
Also, the field trip issue cannot be viewed in isolation, she said. The policy is just one way the board is trying to change the culture in the district and place a greater emphasis on instructional time, thus improving student performance.
“This is one piece,” she said. “When you think of all the other issues, we have to really put a focus on classroom experience and also on protecting instructional time.”
Bundros said he’s not thinking of reconsidering since “the fundamental concerns that I have are still valid.”
Since the school is on a block schedule three days out of the classroom is even more significant, he said. For example, students attend periods two, four and six on Wednesday and Friday and odd-numbered classes on Thursday, so three days of consecutive absences could translate to missing four hours of math.
“If you’re missing three days in a row you’re going to be missing a double dose of one particular subject,” he said.
Many boardmembers also pointed out that Gilroy High School is not a high-performing school. The high school received a 693 on the Academic Performance Index, still far below the 800-point target set by the state, and failed to meet federal requirements.
Geiger, whose daughter is a senior but not a member of the cheerleading squad, said he has fond memories of high school trips and that the spirit team shouldn’t be denied the same.
“There’s more to learning and school than just books,” he said.
