Schools

Gavilan College enrollments are continuing to decline, and the college blames a low unemployment rate and strong economy in south Santa Clara County for the drop. The latest available numbers show that Gilroy-based Gavilan’s student count dropped from 11,744 in the 2016-17 year to 10,394...

Gov. Gavin Newsom late on Tuesday, March 5 signed into law Senate Bill 126, which ensures that all corporate charter schools are held to the same transparency and accountability standards as neighborhood public schools. During the debate on the Senate bill and several still-pending Assembly...

Dr. TJ Owens Early College Academy was among 162 middle and high schools recognized as a 2019 California Distinguished School by the State Dept. of Education, according to a Feb. 25 announcement. The program recognizes outstanding education programs and practices. Schools are awarded for achieving...

South Valley Middle School teacher Rachael Cornaggia was featured in the latest edition of Santa Clara County Office of Education’s “Why I Teach” video public service announcement series in support of the 2019 Teacher Recruitment Fair. In the seventh installment of the series, 2018 Teacher...

Gilroy school district negotiators agreed to a new contract with its support staff that was then ratified by the board of education at a Feb. 14 meeting. The Gilroy Federation of Paraeducators came to an agreement with Gilroy Unified School District on the deal that...

Gilroy Unified School District’s Board of Education approved nearly $3 million in cuts to the 2019-2020 budget, citing a continued trend of declining enrollment, lost revenue and increased costs. Board President James Pace said the latest cost-saving measure, approved unanimously on Feb. 14, was not...

Gilroy realtors are reporting that 1,218 homes (single family, condos and townhomes) were sold in the last two years, yet Gilroy schools are facing a head-scratching trend of declining enrollment. Realtors offer different explanations. Some say sales are declining. Increasing housing prices with higher interest rates...

The New Year hasn’t yet offered any solutions to pending budget cuts in the Gilroy Unified School District, but new Board of Education President James Pace is ready to lead the governing body through difficult decisions, including whether to close an elementary school due...

Battle lines were drawn in 2018 between members of the Gilroy Teachers Association and officials in the Gilroy Unified School District as contract negotiations dragged on for most of the year. Gilroy teachers—among the lowest paid in the entire county—had been working without a contract...

In a meeting of firsts and lasts, Gilroy Unified School District ushered in new trustees and honored departing members last week. First-term Board of Education trustees Enrique Diaz, Anisha Munshi and Tuyen Fiack, as well as incumbent Linda Piceno, all unopposed victors in the November...