Santa Cruz County’s Semillitas program helps families build wealth for their children from birth, offering every newborn since 2021 a college savings account with up to $500 in potential deposits. More than a financial tool, write Semillitas director Crystal Gonzalez and former Santa Cruz mayor Ryan Coonerty, it’s “a statement of community values.”
Education
Posted inEducation
Santa Cruz County teachers, staff see health insurance costs increase dramatically
Teachers and school staff across Santa Cruz County are facing steep health insurance premium hikes — with some monthly payments increasing by more than 70% — prompting fears of educator departures amid already strained school budgets and a soaring cost of living.
Posted inEducation
Free child care program Head Start secures enough funding to remain open through end of October
A free child care program serving low-income families in Santa Cruz County will remain open through October after securing $362,000 in emergency funding from local agencies, following a sudden loss of federal support.
Posted inEducation
UC Santa Cruz projects $80 million deficit for 2026 fiscal year
Despite implementing cost-cutting measures, UC Santa Cruz is projecting another year of deficits: nearly $80 million. Last fiscal year, the university said it was on track to close with a similar deficit.
Posted inEducation
As immigration raids shake families, school counselors help students cope with fear and loss
Kindergartners repeat worries heard at home. Older kids text to check on parents during class. As the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown continues, therapists say mental health is at risk now and in the long term.
Posted inEducation
Santa Cruz City Schools recognized among nation’s healthiest
All campuses in the Santa Cruz City Schools district were among 1,120 nationwide to be named to the America’s Healthiest Schools list put out by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a nonprofit focused on children’s health.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Santa Cruz Public Libraries to feature documentary, Orwell’s ‘1984’ in Banned Books Week events Oct. 5-11
Santa Cruz Public Libraries is recognizing Banned Books Week in October with a documentary screening and a focus on “1984,” George Orwell’s iconic dystopian novel of government censorship.
Posted inEducation
Federal funding cuts put free child care program for low-income Santa Cruz families at risk of closure
A longstanding Santa Cruz child care program serving over 250 low-income families is at risk of closure after federal funding cuts slashed the Head Start grant by $4 million and eliminated access to unused funds.
Posted inEducation
UCSC aims to cut vacant faculty jobs, attract international students to fix budget gap, new interim provost says
Facing mounting budget pressures, UC Santa Cruz’s new interim provost, Paul Koch, says the school is charting a course to cut $170 million in spending, balancing academic excellence with fiscal reality.
Posted inLatest News
Big Creek Lumber offers its School Garden Grant Program for 2026
A grant program sponsored by Davenport-based Big Creek Lumber that gives students and teachers the opportunity to learn through hands-on projects in science, biology, agriculture, carpentry and forestry is continuing in 2026, the company announced in a media release.