Former Gilroy Unified School District trustee Jaime Rosso is
expected to be back on the school board starting May 6, after the
board voted Thursday to appoint him to fill a vacancy left by
former trustee Javier Aguirre.
Former Gilroy Unified School District trustee Jaime Rosso is expected to be back on the school board starting May 6, after the board voted Thursday to appoint him to fill a vacancy left by former trustee Javier Aguirre.
“I’m excited to have the opportunity to continue to serve the district and to support the good work of the board and the district,” Rosso said.
Rosso, who served on the board between 2001 and 2009, lost his seat during the 2008 election by six votes. The appointee said a couple of board members had asked him before last week’s vote whether he would be interested in filling the vacancy, and he said that he would.
The board deliberated Thursday about whether to leave Aguirre’s post vacant, to set up a process to allow people to apply for the position or to appoint someone to fill the vacancy. They unanimously chose to make an appointment.
Aguirre announced during the April 1 board meeting that he was stepping down as a trustee because his family was moving to San Jose.
Trustee Francisco Dominguez said Tuesday that he thought Rosso’s experience would make him an asset to the board. No other names were brought up as potential appointees, he said.
“Obviously, I think it’s a good thing for the school district to have Mr. Rosso continue his service,” Dominguez said. “I think he makes some good decisions.”
The school district is facing many financial challenges these days, and all government entities are expected to do more with less, Rosso said. As a result, he felt it made sense to appoint someone with experience on the board.
“It’s kind of like a very difficult time for anyone to step into political office because it’s a time of diminishing resources,” Rosso said.
He has not yet decided whether he will seek to retain the seat by running for office again in November, although he is considering the idea, he said.
In the meantime, he has plenty of work ahead of him.
“From now ’til end of the year is not a lot of time, but it’s a critical time for the district,” he said.
