As educators and community leaders, we share a simple truth—when families are healthy and stable, students succeed.
In Gilroy, we see this every day. Children learn best when their families have access to healthcare, housing and food security. When those supports are threatened, our students feel the impact in the classroom.
That’s why we stand together in support of Measure A, the temporary five-eighths-cent (0.625%) sales tax proposal on the Nov. 4 ballot. Measure A would generate about $330 million annually in locally controlled revenue to help offset more than $1 billion in federal cuts to Santa Clara County’s health and safety-net programs.
More than 36,000 Gilroy residents have relied on the county’s healthcare system in the past two years, and one in three Gilroy youth depend on Medi-Cal. These safety-net services are not optional—they are what allow children to show up to class healthy, focused and ready to learn.
We know some worry about the impact of another tax. But Measure A is modest and temporary—just 62 cents on every $100 spent, or about $10 per month for the average household—far less than the cost of one missed day of work due to illness or one unfilled prescription.
Groceries, rent and prescription medications are not taxed. The measure also includes public audits and reporting, ensuring transparency and accountability.
This is not a blank check for government—it’s a bridge for our community during a time of extraordinary and unforeseen federal funding loss. One billion dollars a year cannot be absorbed though minor efficiencies or layoffs.
Supporting Measure A is not about bureaucracy or politics; it’s about protecting hospitals, clinics and mental health services that working families across South County depend on. It’s about ensuring that every child in Gilroy has the foundation to learn and grow, and that every educator has the support of a healthy, stable community behind them.
We are united in our belief that student success begins with family well-being. That’s why we support Measure A—because when we invest in our families, we invest in our future.
Tuyen Fiack, President, Gilroy Unified School District Board of Education
Kyle Doria, President, Gilroy Teachers Association
