Whether it’s science classroom equipment, wrestling room
facilities, the swimming pool, proposed field trips or the schedule
for graduations, the Gilroy Unified School District has to be
keenly aware of the
”
feelings
”
present in the community regarding Gilroy High School and
Christopher High School.
Whether it’s science classroom equipment, wrestling room facilities, the swimming pool, proposed field trips or the schedule for graduations, the Gilroy Unified School District has to be keenly aware of the “feelings” present in the community regarding Gilroy High School and Christopher High School.
It’s inevitable, of course, that the rivalry will blossom between the two schools. Gilroy has been a one-horse town – that’s a Mustang horse – forever and now there’s a new kid on the block who lives in a fantastic and expensive new house across town. Nobody expects everything to be equal when a new school is built. Just like in a new home or a new car, there are interior and exterior upgrades.
So, it’s even more incumbent upon the GUSD Board members to take stock of that and to direct construction funds into the projects at Gilroy High that should be taken care of. That doesn’t mean everything can or will get done tomorrow, but it does mean that projects should get on the board and that the staff, students and community are made aware of what’s being done to upgrade Gilroy High.
If the wrestling practice room’s a pit, fix it. If the pool badly needs to be resurfaced, schedule it. Keeping up with what’s needed at Gilroy High School is the right thing to do. It’s clear that since there’s a senior class at Christopher High, the dynamics have changed. Sensitivity about every decision will be heightened. Decisions about graduation dates and times, athletic events, field trips and just about everything that impacts high school life will be overly scrutinized.
There’s no way to avoid that, but GUSD has to be able to account for its decisions, both in terms of facilities and in terms of high school life. Being fair and sensitive will go a long way toward soothing feathers and keeping the rivalry a healthy one.
