Gilroy Unified begins strategic‑vision drafting after extensive community workshops; draft due to board in December

Leadership Associates presented the board with the results of multiple community workshops on Monday as Gilroy Unified begins drafting a compact strategic vision built from community input and a graduate‑profile exercise.

The consultants, Sandy Lyon and Blanca Cavazos, told trustees they held a day‑and‑a‑half session with about 60 community participants in May, additional evening sessions in September and a Saturday session in October, plus later meetings and outreach intended to capture diverse perspectives, including students, parents, staff and community partners.

Why it matters: the strategic vision will be a concise, public‑facing statement to guide a multi‑year LCAP and district priorities; trustees said they wanted a short tagline or promise that can be widely communicated and carry measurable accountability expectations.

Consultants described the methods used to elicit priorities: participants created posters, used dot‑voting to surface shared values, and drafted elements of a graduate profile (cognitive, personal and interpersonal competencies). The consultants said common themes included equitable access, safe and supportive learning environments, future‑ready learning and improving attendance.

Several trustees praised student engagement in the workshops. The consultants said students were not limited to high‑achieving student leaders and that the sessions included a cross section of learners; student participants helped craft posters and some returned to present their own materials. "We were so delighted, really, to work with your students," a consultant said.

Trustees focused discussion on two implementation issues: representation (how to ensure voices of students who struggle academically or have poor attendance are included) and accountability (how the board and community will measure progress). Trustee Pacino urged a short, memorable tagline instead of a long mission paragraph; others suggested a "promise" framing such as "We believe" or "We are building a culture of we." Trustees repeatedly asked that the final product include clear milestones and review checkpoints so the vision does not sit idle.

Timeline: consultants will prepare an initial draft and provide it to the board before the Dec. 18 meeting; the board will discuss the draft that night and is expected to act on a final version in January. Consultants and administration also said they will return the draft to the original workshop participants for confirmation before rollout.

Next steps: trustees will complete the dot exercise and provide any additional direction; consultants will draft the vision, mission/tagline and graduate profile language and return with a formal discussion on Dec. 18, then present a final version for board approval in January.