Nov. 8 will mark the first anniversary of the passage of Measure
P, a $150 million general obligation bond to improve Gilroy Unified
School District facilities. This is an appropriate time to provide
an update to the community.
By GUSD Superintendent Deborah Flores
Nov. 8 will mark the first anniversary of the passage of Measure P, a $150 million general obligation bond to improve Gilroy Unified School District facilities. This is an appropriate time to provide an update to the community.
The largest project and expenditure has been the construction of Christopher High School. Phase I opened on Aug. 19, 2009, with almost 700 ninth and 10th grade students, significantly alleviating crowding at Gilroy High School. At a recent Board of Education meeting, the Board approved plans for Phase 2 of CHS, with construction to begin in June 2010. Building a new high school is the largest construction project in a school district’s facility program. It is a tremendous task requiring a significant amount of time, resources, and effort. Yet, while undertaking this major construction project, the Board and district staff have focused on many other projects.
Between January 2009 and today, numerous meetings have been held about Measure P projects and expenditures including the following: Four special Board of Education study sessions; monthly updates at the regularly scheduled Board meetings; monthly meetings with principals, monthly Superintendent/Parent Advisory Committee meetings (which include two parent representatives from each school), and meetings of school site-based facilities committees comprised of parents and staff.
Additionally, at regularly scheduled Board meetings since January, there have been more than 50 action/consent items related to facilities and/or Measure P projects approved by the board.
Several major projects on elementary school sites quickly rose to the top of the priority list: a new wing at Las Animas, the modernization of Rod Kelley, and the re-building of Rucker. Some have questioned the decision to move forward on the Las Animas wing. The topic was thoroughly discussed, and the decision to move ahead became necessary due to overcrowding at Las Animas (even though it is a new site). There has been a steady increase in the student population in the southern part of Gilroy. Las Animas is currently four classrooms short: there are two kindergarten classrooms (almost 40 children) housed in one classroom; a second-grade classroom is housed in the library; two special education day classes are housed in one classroom; and five third-grade classes are housed in four classrooms with a third-grade teacher roving due to the lack of a classroom.
In the future, when the Glen Loma housing project begins, and 1,800 new homes are constructed, there will be a need for another school in this area of town.
Some years ago, the Board of Education decided to replace and rebuild the two schools in greatest need – Eliot School and Las Animas School. Rod Kelley and Rucker Schools are currently in most need. Since January, these two projects have been included in every presentation to the Board about the expenditure of Measure P funds. At the latest Board study session (on Oct. 22), staff presented initial estimates for the costs to undertake these two projects, and the Board gave staff the go ahead to begin the design and construction process in earnest.
At this same study session, the modernization and expansion of four other elementary schools were discussed: Antonio del Buono, El Roble, Glen View, and Luigi Aprea. These projects will be undertaken at some point after the work starts at Rod Kelley and Rucker. Staff has also been asked to review the needs of our older secondary schools (Gilroy High, Brownell Middle, South Valley Middle, and Mt. Madonna Continuation High School) and to assess the needs of our newest specialized high school, the T.J. Owens Early College Academy, which is housed at Gavilan College. Staff will study these schools’ needs and return to the Board with recommendations. Additionally, many small projects will be completed this year, including fence projects at El Roble and Glen View and shade structures at Luigi Aprea and Solorsano.
School construction takes time due to stringent state requirements which are in the best interest of our students. It typically takes a minimum of three years from initiation of the design process to conclusion of construction. The steps of this process include the following: the design stage (6 months); state review/approval process (9-12 months); and construction (18-24 months). The district cannot manage all of the projects at once and, thus, will undertake two or three major projects a year. Staff is currently developing a five-year projected schedule, which will be posted on the district’s web page before the end of the year.
On Oct. 21, the combined choirs from Gilroy and Christopher High Schools, under the directorship of the indomitable choir teacher, Phil Robb, performed together for the first time. The students were outstanding, and the evening ended with my favorite song of the concert, “It Takes a Village” (from the African proverb by the same title). The passage of Measure P was a wonderful gift from the Gilroy community and a great testament to how seriously the Gilroy community takes to heart this African proverb. The $150 million from Measure P, combined with matching funds from the state, career technical education, and the city, will provide more than $200 million to modernize, renovate, and construct new facilities which will benefit generations of Gilroy students.
These facilities will serve to support an excellent academic program delivered by a very talented and dedicated staff.
Thank you for your continued support.
Guest columnist Debbie Flores is the superintendent of the Gilroy Unified School District. Anyone wishing to write a guest column may contact Editor Mark Derry at
ed****@ga****.com
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