Five individuals are vying for four seats in the board race
Gilroy – About 50 locals showed up to the Gilroy High School library for a forum Wednesday evening to fire questions at candidates vying for a spot on the district school board.
Incumbents Javier Aguirre and Tom Bundros and newcomers Denise Apuzzo, Francisco Dominguez and Ardy Ghoreishi, who are competing for one of the four open seats, kicked off the event by discussing their qualifications.
Trustees David McRae and Jim Rogers chose not to run for reelection.
Aguirre, who was appointed in December to finish up the term of the late TJ Owens, talked about the improvements in the district and the necessity of ensuring that the new high school opens up in a timely fashion to alleviate overcrowded GHS.
The trustee, who is married with one young son and another child on the way, said his vision is to create an environment where college is promoted for all students.
Apuzzo, a married mother of three, discussed her dedication to local public education pointing out that she joined a parent club when her family was still unpacking moving boxes. Since moving to Gilroy, she has volunteered to serve on numerous school councils and is in the process of establishing an Arts Alive program at Glen View Elementary School.
Tom Bundros, married father of six and board vice president, has served on Gilroy Unified School District board for one four-year term. After helping to reinstate the high school honors program he decided to run for the board.
During his tenure on the board, Bundros said he developed the board meeting feedback process in order to facilitate better communication with the district. The trustee said a pressing issue in local schools is closing the achievement gap between minority groups.
Francisco Dominguez explained that what he has to offer Gilroy is experience. The married father of four served two four-year terms on the Oxnard School District before moving to the area.
Ghoreishi, married father of a six-year-old, explained that everyone talks about what’s being taught in the classroom but the focus should be placed on how material is taught. He said one of the complaints he constantly hears concerns the lack of technology in GUSD schools. That’s a shame, particularly considering that we’re smack-dab in the Silicon Valley.
Questions posed in both verbal and written form were relayed to the candidates during the hour-long GHS Parent Club-sponsored forum.
A question about the cheerleading field trip – a highly controversial topic since the board refused to allow the squad to participate in the Pro Bowl competition – was posed to Apuzzo. The parent asked Apuzzo how she would have voted.
The candidate said she initially agreed with the decision – the board said that three days out of school was too much – but afterward realized that the squad was practicing all summer without being aware of a district policy that discourages field trips.
In light of that fact, Apuzzo said she would have let them go this time, but “I would have said ‘I will never let you go on this trip again,’ ” to which a member of the audience said “Here, here.”
