Candidates planning to run for the school board are either
holding out so they can size up the competition or no one is
interested in running for the open spots on the Gilroy Unified
School District Board of Trustees.
Candidates planning to run for the school board are either holding out so they can size up the competition or no one is interested in running for the open spots on the Gilroy Unified School District Board of Trustees.
Three seats open up this fall and two of the three incumbents have elected to run for office. Trustees Jaime Rosso and Rhoda Bress plan on running for a third and second term, respectively. Trustee Pat Midtgaard will step down once her terms runs out. A third candidate, Fred Tovar, plans to register for the election, but has not yet filed his papers. If no one else expresses interest, the elections will not even go on the ballot. As of Monday afternoon Rosso had filed papers, and Bress had pulled papers.
“It’s a big decision,” Bress said. “Now that I know what this job entails, it’s not for the faint of heart.”
Board members definitely aren’t in it for the money, they agreed. Trustees receive a $240 stipend per month, pending their attendance at board meetings. They also are eligible for a medical and dental benefits package through the district.
Benefits or no benefits, trustees share a passion for public education and that’s why Bress has decided to run for another term, she said.
“I feel that a lot has been accomplished in the last four years,” she said. “I’ve thrown my heart and soul into this job. I want to continue doing the work I’ve begun. I still have a lot to offer and there’s a lot left to do.”
Bress and other trustees agreed that their top priority has been raising the bar for academic achievement. In the past four years, programs like Dual Immersion, Advanced Path and the TJ Owens Gilroy Early College Academy have been put into place, Bress pointed out.
“Academic achievement is the big issue for me,” she said. “I want to see every student meeting his or her potential.”
Facilities and teacher retention are other chief motivating factors for Bress. She and Rosso are on the campaign committee to promote the $150 million bond voters will see on the November ballot.
“We’re very hopeful,” Rosso said of the passage of the bond that will fund school facilities. “I’m going to do my darnedest to help pass the bond.
“One of my main goals is to see the high school to completion,” he said of the new Christopher High School, “and see that the school system continues to show academic growth.”
Like Bress and Rosso, other trustees said they are on the same page in terms of goals.
“They’re all people I’d have over to my home for dinner,” Trustee Denise Apuzzo said.
A board member of two years, Apuzzo became a trustee just in time to handle some of the big-ticket items that have kept trustees confined to the board room nights until midnight, or later. Hiring a new superintendent, laying off teachers because of the state budget crunch, building a new high school and facing a $35 million gap in facilities funding are just some of the challenges trustees have tackled recently.
“Every meeting, we had to deal with another issue of the utmost importance,” Apuzzo said.
For all the upheaval, she described a cohesive unit that shared a common goal – improving student achievement. She hopes to see a board with a diverse perspective and is saddened to see Midtgaard go.
“I wish Pat was running again,” she said. “She brought a really good perspective. It’s a shame to loose someone like that.”
Midtgaard, having served the district in one aspect or another sine the 1970s as a teacher, administrator, parent or trustee, said she’s ready to step down and let new blood step in.
“It’s just time for me to move over and have somebody else work on all these issues for the district,” she said. “I think I’ve done what I can. It’s time for a new perspective.”
The board may find that fresh perspective in Tovar, 39, the director for student affairs at the Stanford University School of Medicine, who plans to run for the board but had not filed papers as of Monday afternoon. Originally from San Jose, Tovar and his family have lived in Gilroy for more than 25 years. His two children are enrolled in a San Jose area school district.
“I truly feel I will bring a fresh perspective to the board,” Tovar said. “My extensive background has helped me build and create relationships with local schools, businesses and city leaders.”
He has served on many committees and boards including the San Jose/Evergreen College District Board.
Ensuring that CHS is built “on time and under budget,” is one of the biggest challenges for the board, he said. “Passing the bond, continuing to increase student achievement, closing the achievement gap, working with unions to ensure equitable contracts” were other major challenges he named.
All for the decision to place a bond on the ballot, Tovar said he has helped pass two separate bond measures totaling more than $250 million during his tenure as a college trustee.
Tovar also aims to effect change at the high school level, advocating for more rigorous graduation requirements.
“While alarming, (the drop out rate was) not a shock,” he said. “We need to improve our school offerings and ensure that we catch our students before they decide to drop out. I will work hard with parents on helping instill a foundation in their children, that education should be the most important thing in their lives.”
If no one other than Bress, Rosso and Tovar decides to run, there will be no election and the three will be appointed.
Whoever decides to take the plunge should be a “team player willing to take the time and effort to understand the issues,” Trustee Javier Aguirre said.
“I’m so happy with the way the board has been working so closely with each other,” he said.
Rather than looking at the scarcity of new candidates as a lack of interest, he is hopeful that it’s because the current board is doing its job.
Prospective candidates have until Friday to register with the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters. If an incumbent fails to file, the deadline will be extended until Aug. 13.
Gavilan College openings
Trustee Area #1: Incumbent Mark Dover (has pulled papers)
Trustee Area #2: Candidate Mike Davenport (has pulled papers)
Trustee Area #3: Incumbent Tom Breen (has filed papers)
GUSD openings
Incumbent Jaime Rosso (has pulled papers)
Incumbent Rhoda Bress (has pulled papers)
Candidate Fred Tovar (will pull papers)
