At tonight’s Gilroy Unified School District board meeting,
trustees informally voted to place a $150 million general
obligation bond on the November ballot.
At tonight’s Gilroy Unified School District board meeting, trustees informally voted to place a $150 million general obligation bond on the November ballot.
The bond will be used to fund the district’s facilities needs, which include the ongoing construction of Christopher High School, modernizing aging facilities and making infrastructure upgrades, and will kick in after Measure J sunsets in 2011. Measure J taxes property owners at a rate of $70.50 per $100,000 of assessed home value. The bond to be placed on the November ballot will replace Measure J with a lower tax rate, at up to $60 per $100,000 of assessed home value. With the help of staff, legal counsel and the firm that will guide the board through the campaign, trustees discussed the project list, ballot language and project timeline. Trustees will cast their official votes to move forward with the bond at the next board meeting.
The board also voted unanimously to pass a resolution to eliminate the position of assistant superintendent of administrative services and replace it with the position of deputy superintendent for business services, a position that will include a higher level of responsibility and places the employee second in command to the superintendent. The board plans to officially approve the contract for Enrique Palacios, who will fill this position, at the next board meeting.
The board listened to a presentation by Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Basha Millhollen that outlined the work done by the Technology Committee and identified the need to research the impact of technology on student achievement.
New student board member, Mark Foley, a Gilroy High School student, introduced himself and expressed his enthusiasm for becoming involved in school politics.
The board also recognized Wendy Lopez Martinez, 15, as Migrant Education Student of the Year. The daughter of an agriculture worker, Lopez Martinez just completed her sophomore year at Gilroy High School and travels between Gilroy and Zacatecas, Mexico during the year. Despite her two homes, she maintained a 3.8 grade point average.
The next regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting will be held June 24 at 7810 Arroyo Circle.
