Dear GUSD Families and Staff,

I am writing to provide an update about school operations due to the inclement weather and affected road conditions.  We have been in contact with the City of Gilroy’s Emergency Operations Center throughout the day and have been closely monitoring the weather.  The biggest impact has been in the southern section of Gilroy where there has been flooding of roads and road closures.

As would be expected with the amount of rain we have had in the last ten days and last night’s storm, some sites had roof leaks and/or pools of water, mostly on playgrounds/blacktops, but our staff did a great job addressing these issues. Our custodians, and Maintenance and Operations staff have been coming in very early so that they can assess how sites are doing and respond before other staff and students arrive, and the IT Department is monitoring our sites for power outages.

The weather forecast for tomorrow morning has improved as the day has proceeded.  It is now forecasted that rain will arrive in the early morning hours tomorrow but will not be as heavy as this morning’s rain.  

As of tonight, schools will be open tomorrow unless the conditions worsen overnight and in the morning.   Due to flooding, road closures and limited access to Gavilan College, both Gavilan College and GECA will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday, January 10, 2023.

As we have learned through the recent storms, the impacts vary depending on where you live.  It is very important that you check weather and news reports before leaving your home.  If it is not safe to travel in your area, you should stay home.  The safety of our staff and students is our top priority. If information regarding our schools change, you will receive a ParentSquare message from our District tomorrow as early as possible.

If you have not already done so, please register for SCCAlert, which will provide text updates in the event of any type of emergency in Santa Clara County: https://emergencymanagement.sccgov.org/AlertSCC. We also recommend that you sign up for Nixle alerts for the City of Gilroy, which provide up-to-date information about incidents that affect the City and surrounding areas: https://local.nixle.com/register/.  

The City of Gilroy’s social media platforms provide another opportunity to find information (Facebook/ Instagram), as does the City’s website: https://www.cityofgilroy.org/.

Please be safe as you travel on the roads this week.

Take care of each other,
Dr. Deborah A. Flores, Ph.D.
 Superintendent
 Gilroy Unified School District