Gilroy Unified School District is located in the southernmost tip of Santa Clara Valley, California. The Gilroy Unified School District was created in 1966 when several small school districts joined together with the Gilroy School District. The other school districts included San Ysidro and Rucker. It covers an area of over 600 square miles, and during the 2012–2013 school year had approximately 11,000 students. The school district currently consists of four high schools (Gilroy High School, Christopher High School, Gilroy Early College Academy, and Mt. Madonna Continuation High School), three middle schools (Brownell, Solorsano, and South Valley), and eight elementary schools (Antonio Del Buono, El Roble, Eliot, Glen View, Las Animas, Luigi Aprea, Rod Kelley, and Rucker). The District also operates a pre-school program. One charter school, Gilroy Prep School, has been chartered by the school board and opened in 2011 serving students grades K - 8. Awards and recognition Christopher High - 2015 California Gold Ribbon School Gilroy High - 1994 and 2009 California Distinguished School Gilroy Early College Academy - 2015 California Gold Ribbon School, 2013 California Distinguished School Mt. Madonna Continuation - 2015 California Model Continuation High School Ascencion Solorsano Middle - 2007 and 2013 California Distinguished School, 2007 Title I Academic Achievement School Brownell Middle - 2015 California Gold Ribbon School Glen View Elementary - 1997 California Distinguished School Las Animas Elementary - 2016 California Gold Ribbon Schools Award, 2008 California Distinguished School, 2009 Title I Academic Achievement School Rod Kelley Elementary - 2016 California Gold Ribbon Schools Award Schools High Schools Gilroy High School Dr. TJ Owens Gilroy Early College Academy (GECA) Christopher High School Mt. Madonna Continuation High School Middle Schools South Valley Middle School Brownell Middle School Ascencion Solorsano Middle School Elementary Schools Rucker Elementary School Eliot Elementary School Glen View Elementary School Las Animas Elementary School Antonio del Buono Elementary School Luigi Aprea Elementary School El Roble Elementary School Rod Kelley Elementary School Charter Schools Gilroy Prep School Board of education Gilroy Unified is overseen by a publicly elected seven member board of education, elected at-large for four year terms. Among its duties, this body appoints the superintendent to function as the district's chief executive for carrying out day-to-day decisions and policy implementations. The term for these trustees ends in 2020: Mark Good BC Doyle James E. Pace The term for these trustees expires in 2018: Heather Bass Linda Piceno Pat Midtgaard