Kindergarteners are set to return to Gault Elementary on Monday to begin their hybrid in-person and remote learning, followed by older students the next week. They’ll be met by excited teachers, and a number of new protocols.
Nick Ibarra
Follow Nick Ibarra on: Twitter. Ibarra has a track record of reporting that has shone light into almost every corner of Santa Cruz County. Raised in the Santa Cruz Mountains, he came to journalism from an early background in the tech industry — working in systems administration and developing software. Before returning to his roots to report for the Santa Cruz Sentinel, he held an editorial role with Bay Area News Group and contributed reporting to publications such as Scientific American, Sierra Magazine and KQED Radio. His work has earned several statewide awards and appeared in newspapers across California, including the Mercury News, East Bay Times and Orange County Register.He is proficient in Spanish.“Bringing Santa Cruz County the depth and quality of coverage it deserves is personal to me,” he said. “Lookout has the talent, the resources and the vision to do exactly that — and I couldn’t be happier to join this team.”
Posted inK-12 Education
PVUSD board votes against paying $16K in legal fees authorized by its former president
What happens next depends on the law firm that did the work: Dannis Woliver Kelley. The firm could once again bill the district, absorb the loss — or bill former school board president Georgia Acosta herself.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Watsonville advances utility rate hikes, setting up protest window for ratepayers
Watsonville is advancing rate increases for its water, sewage and solid waste utilities — funds officials say are needed to pay for overdue infrastructure upgrades. The new rates will take effect in July unless a majority of ratepayers protest.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Watsonville slashes tax rates in half for cannabis retailers, cultivators
Hoping to raise more revenue with lower rates — and allow its cannabis businesses to compete with neighboring jurisdictions — the Watsonville City Council on Tuesday approved drastically lower tax rates for cannabis growers and retailers.
Posted inVaccine Watch
‘Very disappointed’: Watsonville, rest of Santa Cruz County left out of California’s vaccine equity plan
The issue is that the state’s “Healthy Places Index” is calculated using census tracts — but the vaccine allocation is being done based on ZIP codes, which are much larger.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Watsonville eyes utility rate hikes that would raise a typical family’s bills 22% over five years
The Watsonville City Council on Tuesday is set to consider rate increases for water, sewage and solid waste. If moved forward by the council, the rate increases would undergo a 45-day public notice period leading to a May 25 hearing and final vote.
Posted inEducation
With review window soon closing, UCSC and surrounding community on collision course over enrollment growth
After a lawsuit delayed construction, a 3,000-bed student housing project in the works since 2017 is heading back to UC…
Posted inEducation
UC Santa Cruz seeking re-approval of Student Housing West project following court ruling
After a lawsuit delayed construction, a 3,000-bed student housing project in the works since 2017 is heading back to UC regents for reconsideration on March 17. The project is across two sites, with a smaller development proposed on UCSC’s East Meadow at the center of contention.
Posted inK-12 Education
PVUSD school board to review $16K in questionable legal fees racked up during superintendent saga
Former Pajaro Valley Unified school board president Georgia Acosta might have violated policy by tallying up more than $16,000 in legal fees relating to the brief dismissal of the district superintendent Michelle Rodriguez — without approval from the rest of the board.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
‘Singing the same tune’: Return plans for middle and high schools quickly taking shape in Santa Cruz County
Five of six districts with secondary schools are gearing up to begin hybrid in-person and remote instruction in March and April — so long as the county moves to the red tier of California’s reopening framework, as expected. The sixth is strongly considering accelerating secondary reopening plans.