Trustees look at ways new Gavilan campus could help with
overcrowding
As San Benito High School approaches capacity, a new Gavilan
College campus in the county provides officials from the high
school with a unique opportunity to partner with the college.
Trustees look at ways new Gavilan campus could help with overcrowding
As San Benito High School approaches capacity, a new Gavilan College campus in the county provides officials from the high school with a unique opportunity to partner with the college.
“We’re definitely interested in looking at that, absolutely,” said William Tiffany, president of the board of trustees for San Benito County High School. “The board is very conscious of the need for long-range plans, and the need for short-term upgrades.”
Stan Rose, superintendent of the San Benito High School District, agreed.
“Eight years, and then we’ll need to be going into another campus,” Rose said.
Enrollment projections predict a decline in the student population at the high school over the next two to three years, he said. It would take an additional five years before the student population reaches current levels, according to the projections, he said.
Purchased years ago, the district owns a site that is located at the intersection of Airline Hwy. and Best Road.
The preferred location of the new Gavilan College Campus in San Benito County is near the intersection of Airline Hwy. and Fairview Road.
Due to the proximity, board members have discussed, “how maybe there could be a coordination between the two campuses,” Tiffany said.
Any serious discussion about a partnership between the college and the high school would have to wait until the new college is built, Rose said.
Officials from Gavilan are open to the possibility of a partnership, said Steven Kinsella, president/superintendent of Gavilan.
“Anything that we can do to help San Benito County, we’re more than willing to do that,” he said.
Gavilan College is partnered with the Gilroy Unified School District, he said.
The T.J. Owens Early College Academy, located on the Gilroy campus, is in its first year, Kinsella said.
It is a five-year program for high school students that is located on the college campus, he said. Upon graduation, students receive a high school diploma and an associate’s degree, Kinsella said.
During the first four years, students attend high school part of the day and college the rest, he said. The fifth year, students attend college classes only, Kinsella said.
To enroll, students must be part of Gilroy Unified, and read and write at grade level, he said.
Currently, there are 58 students enrolled in the program, Kinsella said.
Officials are, “talking about admitting another 90 next year,” he said.
Rose was involved in a similar partnership between the College of Alameda and the Alameda Unified School District, he said.
“It seems like a real positive thing,” he said. “It has worked in a couple of places.”
One of the benefits such programs is money saved on college tuition, Rose said.
“The cost of college is really high,” he said. “If you can get credits out of the way while you are in high school, it can really help with the cost.”
A similar program could be possible in San Benito County, Kinsella said.
Tiffany agreed.
“So far, as the high school is concerned, everything is on the table,” Tiffany said.
