Newsroom

At the March 6, 2025 regular meeting the Board of Education appointed two administrators to new positions in the Gilroy Unified School District: Maritza Salcido as the new Principal of South Valley Middle School, and Alejandro Calderon, Facilities Manager.

Maritza Salcido, Principal, South Valley Middle School

Maritza Salcido began her teaching career in 2001 in Hollister. In 2005, she joined the Gilroy Unified School District as a Spanish Dual Language teacher. During her time as a teacher, Maritza was dedicated to creating an inclusive and enriching learning environment for her diverse group of students.

In 2006, Maritza earned her Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and Administration from San Jose State University. She was named Teacher of the Year in GUSD in 2012, and the same year, transitioned to South Valley Middle School, where she was a Dual Immersion TOSA and teacher until 2016.

In 2016, Maritza was hired as the principal of Rod Kelley Elementary, and has served in that role until being appointed to her new position. Throughout her career, she has maintained a passion for curriculum development, personal learning, and creating safe, supportive learning environments where all students can thrive.

Maritza deeply values the opportunity to be part of each child's educational journey and is committed to helping all students reach their full potential. Her work continues to be driven by a commitment to fostering growth, collaboration, and a lifelong love of learning.  She is the proud parent of three daughters who attended Las Animas Elementary, South Valley, and Gilroy High Schools.  In her spare time, she enjoys reading, dancing to Taylor Swift songs with her granddaughter, spending time with her daughters, and traveling with her husband.

Alejandro Calderon, Facilities Manager

With over 19 years of experience, Alejandro started his construction journey at the age of 18 as a union labor carpenter and quickly worked his way to leading large scale construction residential projects while serving under general contractors as the lead superintendent.

Alejandro takes great pride in positively reshaping the communities in which people live and work in.

He enjoys spending time with his wife, an engineer in the construction industry who he met on a construction project, and daughter (5), and two-year-old Doberman.

Some of his hobbies include going off-roading, riding motorcycles, and building race cars.  He enjoys traveling and enjoys a day or two at Disneyland with his daughter and wife.