Michelle Nelson
CA · Vice President, Gilroy Unified School District Board of Education, Trustee Area 3
Michelle Nelson has served on the Gilroy Unified board since 2020 after 39 years with the district as a science teacher and 12 years as Gilroy Teachers Association president. Her goals are keeping qualified staff, holding programs accountable, and better communication with the community.
Where Michelle Nelson stands, based on their records
Supports
Public Safety and Crime Control (1 record), Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties (1 record), Public Education Quality (4 records),
Mixed record
Government Spending Reduction (1 support · 4 oppose)
Track record
Track record — Government Spending Reduction
Government Spending Reduction · 1 support · 4 oppose
Voted no on Aug. 6, 2026 on raising school board members' pay from $400 to $1,200 a month with yearly raises. She said she preferred to keep the $400 stipend. It passed 5-2.
August 6, 2026Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: simbli.eboardsolutions.com
Voted on May 28, 2026 to put a $295 million school construction bond on the November 2026 ballot for repairs, safety upgrades and job-training spaces. It passed unanimously.
May 28, 2026Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: simbli.eboardsolutions.com
Voted on May 8, 2025 for a teachers' contract giving a 2.5 percent raise and higher health payments, costing about $2.17 million. It passed unanimously.
May 8, 2025Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: simbli.eboardsolutions.com
Voted on Nov. 9, 2023 for a teachers' union contract that raised pay and lowered class sizes in grades 1 to 3, costing about $20.2 million through 2025-26. She said talks took way too long.
November 9, 2023Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: gilroydispatch.com
Voted on March 18, 2021 for a teachers' union contract giving Gilroy teachers a 4.25 percent raise, back-dated to July 2020. The board approved it unanimously at a cost of about $2.6 million that year.
March 18, 2021Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: gilroydispatch.com
Track record — Public Safety and Crime Control
Public Safety and Crime Control · 1 support
Seconded and voted for renewing Gilroy Unified's school resource officer program on April 3, 2025. The two police officers cost $300,019, half paid by the city. It passed 6-1.
April 3, 2025Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: simbli.eboardsolutions.com
Track record — Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties · 1 support
Voted on May 28, 2026 for a resolution opposing an immigration (ICE) detention center in Gilroy. It passed 6-1.
May 28, 2026Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Source: simbli.eboardsolutions.com
Track record — Public Education Quality
Public Education Quality · 4 support
Voted on May 28, 2026 to put a $295 million school construction bond on the November 2026 ballot for repairs, safety upgrades and job-training spaces. It passed unanimously.
May 28, 2026Supports Public Education Quality
Source: simbli.eboardsolutions.com
Voted on May 8, 2025 for a teachers' contract giving a 2.5 percent raise and higher health payments, costing about $2.17 million. It passed unanimously.
May 8, 2025Supports Public Education Quality
Source: simbli.eboardsolutions.com
Voted on Nov. 9, 2023 for a teachers' union contract that raised pay and lowered class sizes in grades 1 to 3, costing about $20.2 million through 2025-26. She said talks took way too long.
November 9, 2023Supports Public Education Quality
Source: gilroydispatch.com
Voted on March 18, 2021 for a teachers' union contract giving Gilroy teachers a 4.25 percent raise, back-dated to July 2020. The board approved it unanimously at a cost of about $2.6 million that year.
March 18, 2021Supports Public Education Quality
Source: gilroydispatch.com
Track record — Public Infrastructure
Public Infrastructure · 1 support
Voted on May 28, 2026 to put a $295 million school construction bond on the November 2026 ballot for repairs, safety upgrades and job-training spaces. It passed unanimously.
May 28, 2026Supports Public Infrastructure
Source: simbli.eboardsolutions.com
Track record — General
General · 7 records
Was elected vice president of the Gilroy Unified school board on Dec. 18, 2025.
December 18, 2025
Source: simbli.eboardsolutions.com
Voted on Oct. 16, 2025 for a board resolution supporting Santa Clara County Measure A, a temporary 0.625 percent sales tax. It passed unanimously.
October 16, 2025
Source: simbli.eboardsolutions.com
Cast the only no vote on Aug. 21, 2025 against approving the district's school improvement plans, after pointing out errors in Solorsano Middle School's plan. The plans passed 6-1.
August 21, 2025
Source: simbli.eboardsolutions.com
Voted on June 17, 2025 to extend the contracts of the superintendent and two assistant superintendents for one more year. It passed 6-1.
June 17, 2025
Source: simbli.eboardsolutions.com
Kept her Trustee Area 3 seat for a new term in 2022 without an election, as reported on Sept. 8, 2022.
September 8, 2022
Source: gilroydispatch.com
Voted no on March 25, 2021 on a plan to bring middle and high school students back to campus part-time during Covid. She said teachers disliked teaching in person and online at the same time. The plan failed, keeping distance learning through June.
March 25, 2021
Source: gilroydispatch.com
Was sworn in to the Gilroy Unified school board on Dec. 17, 2020, after winning the Trustee Area 3 seat in the Nov. 3, 2020 election.
December 17, 2020
Source: gilroydispatch.com
Past race Michelle Nelson ran in:
- Gilroy Unified School District Governing Board Member, Trustee Area 3 · November 3, 2026 · Gilroy Unified School District Trustee Area 3 · incumbent