The Gilroy Unified School District Board of Trustees scrutinized
very closely the approval of an overnight/out of town field trip
for the Christopher High School English and Drama Departments to
the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Ore. In addition to the
paperwork for the trip being submitted late, a couple trustees
weren’t happy about students leaving at 3:30 p.m. Full story
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Today’s breaking news:
Knee deep in September, the Gilroy Unified School District Board of Trustees met Thursday at 7810 Arroyo Circle to discuss all things education in the Garlic Capital. Among myriad items – a heated discussion about TUCCI Learning Solutions, Inc., the last presentation delivered by Kirsten Perez, director of Fiscal Services for GUSD, board policy revisions, construction change orders, Measure P facilities updates and an out-of-town field trip that got put in the hot seat. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m., Oct. 6 at district offices.
NO MORE FIELD TRIPS ON SCHOOL DAYS?
Trustees scrutinized very closely the approval of an overnight/out of town field trip for the Christopher High School English and Drama Departments to the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Ore.
In addition to the paperwork for the trip being submitted late, a couple trustees weren’t happy about students leaving at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22 and missing an entire day of school on Friday; not to mention the substitute teachers who are needed to cover the four GUSD teachers and staff accompanying students on the trip. The dialogue eventually led to Trustee Tom Bundros to entertain the possibility of only approving “on a very exceptional, special basis” field trips that take up an entire school day – given this school year has already suffered loss of instructional days due to furloughs. The board agreed to revisit this matter more in depth in the coming months.
MINUS ONE
Champion number cruncher Kirsten Perez, a.k.a – former director of Fiscal Services for GUSD – has departed Gilroy for a new position as director of Fiscal Services for the Morgan Hill Unified School District.
In a school year plagued by federal spending cuts to education, she’s often been tasked with breaking unsavory news to trustees, like imminent budget shortfalls and unsavory fiscal reports from the state.
“Thank you, Ms. Perez,” said GUSD Board President Rhoda Bress in a past board meeting, after Perez had delivered a particularly unhappy PowerPoint presentation about the state budget. “We promise not to shoot the messenger.”
Despite being the harbinger of rainclouds, at times, Perez was always good-humored about her occupational demands.
Friday, Sept. 6, marked her last day working in Gilroy. She returned to GUSD Thursday to give one last presentation on unaudited actuals for the 2010-2012 school year. Perez received a round of applause at the end.
TUCCI
A dozen para-educators, parents and teachers turned out to address the board regarding its contract with TUCCI Learning Solutions, Inc., which provides supervision, coaching and coordinating services to parents and educators catering to children with a variety of behavioral challenges.
Board approval was recommended to extend the contract with TUCCI for one year, which will continue the transition of behavior services to GUSD personnel at the cost of $171,000.
GUSD Trustee Mark Good questioned the effectiveness of TUCCI, along with the need to extend its contract, which was approved October 2010. Extension of the contract will continue to allow para-educators – who are training in behavior strategies – to take over the work that had been handled by a non-public agency.
However, GUSD will revisit this topic after hearing passionate statements testifying the progress, dogged commitment and “hours of unpaid overtime” put in by para-educators who have trained in the TUCCI program and are working with special needs students.
UNEXPECTED OCCURRENCE OF THE NIGHT
The evening’s first public speaker strolled to the podium and introduced himself as Chris Miller, a teacher at Saint Mary School in Gilroy who also sits on the Los Gatos Unified School District Board of Trustees.
Miller told GUSD trustees he understands the kind of work that goes into the job.
“I wanted to say thank you,” he said.
The board members waited.
“That was all,” he said.
The audience clapped; the trustees grinned – their expressions a mixture of delight and complete surprise (GUSD Fred Tovar later described it as “shock”).
“Well,” joked GUSD Board President Rhoda Bress. “I think we should call the meeting right there.”
MEASURE P UPDATES
There’s a few exciting construction developments, compliments of the Measure P general obligation bond passed by taxpayers in 2008.
Plans for a brand-new library Rod Kelley Elementary School were sent Sept. 9 to the Division of State Architect.
Both the activities and competition pools at Christopher High School have also been filled with water, marking the approach of opening day of Oct. 1, 2011 for the new aquatics center at CHS.
A FACE LIFT FOR GECA
GUSD is in the midst of revamping a campus within a campus. The Dr. TJ Owens Early College Academy, an alternative high school located on the campus of Gavilan College at 5055 Santa Teresa Bvld., is currently housed in several portables and in need of a face lift. The district is looking to give the high GECA a heightened sense of place; expanding into the parking lot with a landscaped courtyard with more areas to sit, congregate and eat lunch. More portables may also be in the mix. The board has granted approval to move forward and work with a site architect, with hopes of having the improved facility ready for the next school year.
QUOTABLE
GUSD Trustee Fred Tovar: “What’s a leach field?”
GUSD Trustee Mark Good: “Fred, you can come over to my house, and I’ll show ya.”
GUSD Trustee Rhoda Bress: “Someday Christopher High will not be on our agenda,” she said, of the multi-million dollar high school that’s taken more than a decade in planning and building. “I see the end … we’ll find other things to talk about.”
