“We were out there during the Depression. We had
ongoing educational content, vocational programs and our
aircraft maintenance program.”
“Being small was not an accident,” Rose said. “The college
always had small enrollment on purpose to provide quality
education that is uniquely student-centered, which we still
have today.”
A Big Expansion
It wasn’t until 1963 that the college expanded in a big
way. A board of trustees was formed, and Ralph Schroder
became its first president. In 1964, the county passed the
first educational bond, for $1.8 million, which was matched
by state funds. This allowed them to build the campus that
exists today in Gilroy. It was thought to be an ideal location
between Hollister and Gilroy.
It would take another 50 years, however, for another
sizable bond measure to put significantly more money
into the college. That one, Measure E, a modernization
bond for $108 million, passed in 2004. Rose explained
that it provided infrastructure and renovations to the
Gilroy campus, and made it possible to purchase land in
San Benito County and Coyote Valley for future expansion.
In 2018, the third bond in 100 years, Measure X was
passed for $248 million dollars.
“We are now poised at an extraordinary time in the
college’s history to be able to move forward with five major
projects,” Rose said.
These projects include: Building a 33,000 square foot
campus at the San Benito site, which will enable them
to offer more at that site. “We’ve never stopped offering
educational services there, but it’s time for a permanent
presence,” Rose said. This will include wet labs, computer
labs, and vocational instruction.
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
At the Gilroy campus they will be adding a STEM center
with labs and lecture spaces to support the sciences, a
central plant to keep their HVAC services up and running,
and a performing arts center.
“We are super excited about the performing arts center,”
Rose said. “We want a place where we can celebrate all
aspects of the arts.”
“This arts center is an opportunity for very strong com-
munity partnerships with the entire district,” she said. “We
recognize that there are limited places to do this now. We
want an arts center with community space for folks from
Morgan Hill, Gilroy, and San Benito to explore, deepen and
cherish our relationships,” she added.
“It’s bringing us all a great deal of pride, optimism and
excitement.”
A Community Resource
“Community has always been an important aspect of Gavilan
college, which set out to be a resource for the community
from the very beginning and continues to make good on this.”
april/may 2019
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