Schools

Fifth graders from San Martin/Gwinn Environmental Science Academy witnessed firsthand the legal proceedings conducted at the South County Courthouse during an Oct. 26 class trip led by Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Johnny Gogo.

After about eight months of contract negotiations, local school district and teachers union bargaining teams have failed to reach an agreement on a pay raise for its certificated workforce—and the waters are getting choppier by the day.

Morgan Hill Unified School District incumbent candidates Rick Badillo and Tom Arnett received endorsements in the November 2016 election from the California Charter School Association Advocates, which announced its support to those running for offices in various races throughout the state.

Thanks to cost savings reported on previous school bond projects throughout the district, one of Morgan Hill Unified School District’s elementary sites is getting a bigger modernization boost than originally expected.

School board trustees will consider the costs associated with different options for having their meetings recorded and available to the public for viewing, according to the Oct. 18 board of education agenda.

Update: The decision on the allocation of funds has been moved to the November 1 school board meeting as (district officials) need additional time to gather information to respond to questions presented at the Oct. 11 study session, according to district staff.

As the only school board candidate in her trustee area for the November election, San Martin resident Teresa Murillo has already locked up a seat on Morgan Hill Unified School District’s governing body for the next four years.

Morgan Hill Unified School District and the American Association of University Women encourage local families to participate in a free screening of the documentary “Screenagers,” which will be held 7 p.m. Oct. 20 at Ann Sobrato High School (401 Burnett Avenue).

One school board candidate has raised about $19,000 more than his only challenger in the Nov. 8 election, with most of the funds coming from an organization based more than 2,400 miles away. Another school board hopeful owes nearly $8,000 in unpaid bills to a Gilroy-based campaign consulting firm in a race in which she is running unopposed.

A forum on the Borello Elementary School property, a presentation by City of Morgan Hill staff on its Below Market Rate Housing Program, a Measure G quarterly report and Charter School of Morgan Hill’s annual update are all on the Oct. 4 docket for Morgan Hill Unified School District’s board of education meeting.