Gilroy
– When Rocio Cardenas meets and greets new school board trustees
early next month, she plans on using that face time to address
critical issues facing high school students today – everything from
escalating drug abuse to teen pregnancy.
Gilroy – When Rocio Cardenas meets and greets new school board trustees early next month, she plans on using that face time to address critical issues facing high school students today – everything from escalating drug abuse to teen pregnancy.
She and other El Portal Leadership Academy students will hold a reception for the newly elected Gilroy Unified School District board members – the first time that a reception for new trustees will be held by high school students, and the first time in many years that three board seats are occupied by Hispanic trustees – two of whom won seats on the seven-member board in the November elections.
“Two Latino members won the election in Gilroy, and we hope that the members that were elected can work together and make a difference,” said Cardenas. Other students hope that the board members listen more closely to the real issues.
“We want to become something in life, and there’s a few people helping us, and by having people underestimate us we underestimate ourselves,” said Jorge Lustre, 17, a senior at El Portal. “I hope that we impact the board members and have them realize the difference between what they think we want, and what we really want,” said Lustre.
One of the issues the youth will bring to the board is that there is a lack of programs for at-risk youth, those abusing drugs and alcohol.
South County youth are drinking at higher rates than the state average, and Gilroy ranks in the top percentile for binge drinking, according to a California Healthy Kids Survey.
The concentration of liquor-selling convenience stores in Gilroy is a problem, according to the state Alcohol and Beverage Control department. Other issues, such as the so-called “alcopops,” fruit-flavored alcoholic beverages, will be introduced on the reception agenda, as well as the problem of alcohol distributors marketing to youth on billboards and in liquor store windows.
Lizette Diaz believes the district needs to provide youth programs that address real issues, such as teen pregnancy.
“If there was a program for youth there would be less problems, less students going to places and less girls getting pregnant. We have Community Solutions but we need something like rehab for the youth,” said the 16-year-old story.
Community Solutions accepts referrals from the juvenile probation office for intervention treatment, but there are no Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous programs for youth in South County. There is only one counselor designated for students with substance-abuse problems at both Mount Madonna Continuation High School and at Gilroy High School.
At this point, there are no funds for after-school programs for 9 to 12 graders, said Olivia Schaad, director of curriculum and Instruction for the Gilroy Unified School District. The district is working on obtaining a grant from the newly available funds through Proposition 49, the After School Education and Safety Program Act of 2002.
Francisco Dominguez is one of the newly elected board members who received an invitation to the reception as well as all other board members.
“It’s good that the compilation of the board reflects the community,” said Dominguez. “What makes a person a better board member is understanding your responsibility. Just because your Latino, it doesn’t make you more sensitive (to their needs),” he added.
But for Diaz, she hopes that Latino board members will be more sensitive to needs of the Hispanic community.
“There are a lot of students trying to learn English, and if they have someone to go to at the district level who speaks Spanish, then they could be better served,” said Diaz.
The reception will take place Thursday, Feb. 8, 6:30pm at South Valley Junior High.
