School Days
Putting Measure E
Funds to Work
Written By Laura Corea-Hernandez, PIO, Gilroy Unified School District
H
ow amazing is the Gilroy
community? Thanks to widespread
community support, Gilroy Unified
School District’s $170 million-dollar Measure
E General Obligation Bond passed in June
of 2016. Superintendent Debbie Flores has
outlined how the funds will allow the school
district to pursue vital improvements and
new projects to better serve Gilroy’s students,
families, staff, and community.
GUSD recently accessed $60 million
of the bond funds to move forward with
Phase I of its Measure E projects. According
to Superintendent Debbie Flores, “We are
grateful to our remarkable community.
Passing this bond measure will allow us to
construct new facilities and improve the
school district’s technology infrastructure.”
The first phase includes three key
major projects curren tly underway: a new
elementary school, a new two-story addition
to Gilroy High School, and Information
Technology (IT) improvements throughout
the school district.
A New K-5 Elementary School
Further exemplifying Gilroy community
generosity, the Filice Family Estate was
instrumental in the exchange of property
with the school district so that a new school
could be built in an optimal location. The
12.74-acre elementary school site is located
at the corner of Santa Teresa Boulevard and
Club Drive.
GUSD is investing $40 million dollars in
its new K-5 school, which will accommodate
up to 800 students. Construction is slated
to begin in 2018 and be completed in the
summer of 2020. The property is currently
going through the California Department of
Education requirement process for a new
school, along with new school construction
testing and studies. GUSD has chosen
the Design/Build delivery method for
construction. The “schematic” development
phase of the design process will involve
design of the basic layout and instructional
programming requirements.
According to GUSD Board President Pat
Midtgaard, “The school district’s enrollment
is projected to steadily increase over the
next 10 years, particularly in the Santa
Theresa Corridor south of First Street. It is
very exciting to be able to accommodate our
students with a new school.”
Gilroy High School Addition
Gilroy High School’s new two-story math
building, which will replace 14 aging
portables, is expected to be completed in
2018. The new $13 million dollar build-
ing will be located next to the stadium and
will increase capacity with the addition of
seven new classrooms for future growth.
Principal Marco Sanchez said he is thrilled
for the students, and noted that “a new
math building is remarkable in itself. What
makes it additionally exciting is all of the
new technology that it will contain to teach
our expanded enrollment in the coming
years.” The math building’s modular design
will aesthetically match the existing campus
design and architectural elements from the
Student Center building. The “L” shaped
building will provide a quad area reflective
of the campus’ Centennial Circle Elements.
Additionally, a new “Snack Shack” will be
housed in a building near the stadium. The
project will be undertaken in three phases
including site preparation, infrastructure
development and new building construction.
Tech Improvements
Measure E funded Information Technology
improvements are currently underway
to rebuild the school district’s aging
infrastructure. These improvements will
provide advanced resources for students and
teachers by allowing GUSD to integrate net-
works and increase capacity while maintain-
ing network stability and providing network
and data security. The $12.5 million-dollar
project is slated for completion in 2018.
Las Animas Elementary School Principal
Silvia Reyes said there are big plans for the
new technology. “We will be able to pro-
vide to students a variety of programs that
we would have never been able to offer
otherwise. We will be implementing the
Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and
Mathematics (STEAM) Program for our kin-
dergarten, first and second grade students.
To be able to utilize iPads [funded through
a grant] with wireless connectivity and the
integration of free applications is invaluable.”
Capital Improvements
The remainder of Measure E funds from
Phase I will be applied to capital improve-
ments at multiple school district sites, a
feasibility study, restroom replacements, and
construction of new science labs at both
Christopher and Gilroy High Schools in the
upcoming summer and fall seasons.
Gilroy Unified School District encompasses 15 schools serving 11,000 students on their educational journey from kindergarten through
senior high school. Building and maintaining modern, safe campuses that are conducive to 21st century learning is an ongoing
priority for the school district on behalf of its students and teachers. Community support makes it all possible.
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GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
MAY/JUNE 2017
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