Groundbreaking Scheduled For Gilroy Special Ed Facility

SAN JOSE, CA - Ground will be broken Friday, March 28 for construction of a new $4 million Gilroy facility that will serve special education students of the Santa Clara County Office of Education.

The Brownell facility, which will replace portable buildings, will feature four classrooms accommodating 30-40 special education students. Most of the students are from school districts in Gilroy, Morgan Hill and south San Jose.

Construction cost is about $4 million, and the facility is expected to be ready for use in the fall of 2009. Funding comes from money raised by Proposition 55, a measure for the sale of bonds for school facilities construction and renovation, which California voters approved in 2004.

"We are really looking forward to serving these students in an up-to-date facility," said Joe Fimiani, interim Santa Clara County superintendent of schools. "It will be great to place our staff and students in an environment so much more conducive to learning."

Officials expected to attend the event include Fimiani; Jane Howard, president of the Santa Clara County Board of Education; and representatives of Blach Construction, the contractor for the project.

The groundbreaking will take place at 11 a.m. at 7701 Hanna St., near Third Street.

Date last updated: March 24, 2008