Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s school closure advisory committee is expected to present recommendations in December, but members say they need more time. The district has yet to clarify when the governing board will vote or how much money school closures could save.
K-12 Education
Posted inLatest News
‘An inspiration to many’: Dolores Huerta’s legacy lives on in Santa Cruz County activists she inspired
Dolores Huerta, the pioneering labor leader and co-founder of United Farm Workers, inspired generations of activists across Santa Cruz County. Local leaders from Watsonville to Santa Cruz remember her as a champion for farmworkers, women’s rights and community activism.
Posted inEducation
California is about to overhaul the way it runs K-12 schools. Will it fix a fragmented system?
A bill passed in July calls for a new governor-appointed education commissioner, who will oversee the California Department of Education and ensure that policies set in Sacramento are enacted in classrooms.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Newsom’s dilemma: Join or spurn new federal school choice program
A new federal program funded by private donations could produce billions of dollars for private school scholarships and services like tutoring for public school students, but there are also arguments for Gov. Gavin Newsom steering clear of the much-debated Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program.
Posted inEducation
Santa Cruz County students make small gains in math and reading, but trail state averages and pre-pandemic levels
Santa Cruz County students made small gains in math and English language arts in California standardized testing this year, but scores remain below statewide averages and pre-pandemic levels.
Posted inEducation
New California test scores show most students don’t meet standards in math, English or science
California’s 2026 test scores follow a familiar trend: incremental improvement from the prior year, with the majority of students behind grade-level standards.
Posted inEducation
Incumbent Gail Levine and newcomer Ashleigh Hopkins face off for San Lorenzo Valley Unified school board seat
Incumbent Gail Levine, a longtime public school educator, faces newcomer Ashleigh Hopkins for the Trustee Area 4 seat on the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District governing board. Like many districts across the county and state, SLVUSD is navigating declining enrollment impacts while trying to retain qualified teachers.
Posted inEducation
Soquel Union Elementary school board race pits incumbent Ariel Gray against newcomer Andrea Locke
Incumbent Ariel Gray is seeking reelection against newcomer Andrea Locke for the Trustee Area 4 seat on the Soquel Union Elementary School District governing board. The district serves about 1,520 students in three elementary schools and one middle school across Capitola, Soquel and Santa Cruz.
Posted inEducation
PVUSD names Ricky Maldonado interim principal at Pajaro Middle School after leadership controversy
Pajaro Middle School has a new interim principal: Ricky Maldonado. Maldonado previously served as a social emotional counselor and assistant principal at Central Coast Middle School.
Posted inEducation
Pajaro Valley school board: Incumbent Daniel Dodge Jr. faces recent high school graduate Eriberto Estrada in Area IV race
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Trustee Area IV race pits 18-year-old recent graduate Eriberto Estrada against eight-year incumbent Daniel Dodge Jr. Estrada is campaigning on the perspective of a recent student and calls for more creative spending, while Dodge points to his record of infrastructure improvements.
