Schools

Christopher High School junior Jerry Ponce keeps his head on a swivel, especially around 3 p.m. when the final bell rings and it's time to amble home along Santa Teresa Boulevard.

The Gilroy Unified School District has a jam-packed lineup slated for its Board of Education meeting Thursday.

The California Teachers Association, "one of the strongest advocates for educators in the country," according to the organization's website, is officially backing Gov. Jerry Brown's temporary tax initiative to increase revenues for public education and other essential services. 

“Welcome to the rocket ship,” said 5-year-old Hector Pantoja Jr. Perez, extending his right hand and motioning to a small, red chair with his left.

The 24th Annual Spaghetti Dinner benefitting the Christopher and Gilroy High School choral program will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1 in the GHS cafeteria, located at 750 West 10th St.

In conjunction with Arbor Week coming up March 7-14, third, fourth and fifth grade students throughout California are invited to participate in the California Arbor Week Poster Contest.

In 2003, a formal district review of Gilroy High School revealed the 33-year-old campus needs $30 million in repairs and renovations. 

For the first time, the Gilroy Unified School District is exploring the possibility of a flat parcel tax that could cost local residents and businesses anywhere from $50 to $300 per year.

Gilroy Unified School District trustees will begin to visit the feasibility of restoring furlough days during Thursday's Board of Education budget study session, but the glimmer of possible good news may be overshadowed by an ominous fiscal rain cloud.

A pair of Gilroy schools are two of 20 in Santa Clara County being honored as recipients of the inaugural 2020 Vision awards of the SJ2020 initiative, which is a collaborative community effort to eliminate the achievement gap by the year 2020.