Salinas middle school renamed after beloved principal

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) Scores of family, community members and local teaching staff and students took time to remember a beloved teacher and principal in Salinas on Friday.

John Gutierrez served as principal at Bolsa Knolls Middle School for years, inspiring students and staff to be their best. The school district is renaming the campus in his honor.

Silly, playful, paternal and always there. These are the words that describe Gutierrez, who served as principal for just about a decade. He picked up the trash in his spare time, going around with a paint scraper to get gum off the concrete.

People who knew him say that was just the kind of man he was, always going the extra mile for the school he loved with all his heart.

"He was out here every break, every lunch, every passing period. His presence was with the kids, that's where he wanted to be," said Barbara Conley, who taught at John Gutierrez Middle School before she retired last year.

"He was doing everything in his power to make his corner of the world a better place," said Josue Gutierrez, his eldest son.

Gutierrez started out as a substitute teacher and went on to serve at the Santa Rita Union Elementary School District as a full time teacher and eventually administrator for almost 30 years.

In August 2010, Gutierrez got the chance of a lifetime when he became the founding principal of Bolsa Knolls Middle School in North Salinas. There, he poured his heart into the job.

"When you're opening up a brand new school, you have short staff. He was just doing everything, being groundskeeper, being just everything," said Rachel Gutierrez Torres, his older sister.

But his burning passion for his school was cut short when Gutierrez died from COVID-19-related causes in October last year. Now, the school district is renaming the middle school he fostered in his honor.

Officials say he inspired thousands of students to strive to excel and reach their goals. It is a legacy that will live on for generations to come.

"I just love the way he used to say have a good day at BK and always be there, and now I'm so grateful we get to say have a good day at John Gutierrez Middle School," said Delilah Ramirez, who just graduated from JGMS.

PREVIOUS STORY: Bolsa Knolls Middle School in North Salinas has been renamed after the school’s first principal, John Gutierrez.

Gutierrez died of COVID-19 related causes last October. Community members and the school district held a commemoration ceremony at the middle school on Friday in his honor.

Gutierrez served as a teacher and administrator in the Santa Rita Union Elementary School District for nearly 30 years. 
KION’s Josh Kristianto will have more tonight at 10 and 11 p.m.