Years of planning and construction will culminate in the
long-awaited ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony of Gilroy’s
second high school next week.
Years of planning and construction will culminate in the long-awaited ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony of Gilroy’s second high school Friday.
Christopher High School will host an afternoon of tours and festivities showcasing the palatial school to community members and local dignitaries. Although Principal John Perales originally joked about inviting President Barack Obama, the nation’s leader won’t be attending. Speakers will include Superintendent Deborah Flores, Gilroy Unified School District board president Javier Aguirre, garlic magnate and school benefactor Don Christopher, Perales, the school’s two class presidents – Mikayla Kraus and Katharine Bright – and representatives from the school’s contractor and architect.
“You name it, we invited them,” Perales said. He expects at least 200 people to show up. The school’s 700 students will also attend. The CHS and Gilroy High School band will play during the ceremony and student athletes will be wearing their uniforms to add splashes of the school colors to the mix. Perales said he expects the ceremony to last about 45 minutes.
The school opened in August with several incomplete buildings, including the library, gymnasium and cafeteria. School officials said they wanted to wait until construction was complete before revealing the school to the community.
“I thought it would be kind of odd to have a dedication if we’re still hearing construction going on in the background,” Perales said. “We’re still touching up here and there but, for the most part, we’re done with the first phase.”
The school’s first phase cost about $123 million and includes the bulk of the school’s classrooms, administrative offices, practice fields, the gym, library and cafeteria. The second phase, expected to cost about $55 million, will add an extra wing of classrooms, a performing arts center and an additional parking lot, according to district documents.
The ribbon cutting marks an important beginning for the community, Perales said.
“It will set the stage for what’s to come,” he said. “It will give us a chance to share our vision for the school with the community and give the people intimately involved in the project a chance to share what this school means to them.”
Be a part of history
-What: Christopher High School dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony
-When: 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30
-Where: Christopher High School main quad, 850 Day Road
Tours of the school to follow
