Campaign donations to an outgoing board member have ignited controversy over trustee appointments at Pajaro Valley Unified School District, exposing tensions between incoming and current board members.
K-12 Education
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Pajaro Valley Unified School District eyes workforce housing, arts complex after $315 million bond win
Pajaro Valley Unified School District is set to review plans on Wednesday to build teacher housing and a new performing arts center after voters approved a $315 million bond measure in November. The district will discuss two feasibility studies for an apartment complex that could be built at one of seven school sites, with costs ranging from $52 million to $87 million, alongside plans for a new performing arts center that could cost $24 million.
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Santa Cruz teens will present ‘fog drip’ research to some of the world’s top scientists in D.C.
Santa Cruz high school students Talia and Kaia Gurdak turned their backyard into a laboratory, collecting water droplets in mesh nets to study whether fog can be a sustainable source of water. Now the sisters are preparing to present their findings this week to a gathering of 25,000 scientists at the prestigious American Geophysical Union conference in Washington, D.C.
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Five new faces and a fresh start: How controversy over ethnic studies helped reshape Pajaro Valley Unified School District
Three incumbents on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District governing board lost their seats to three newcomers in the November election. District community members talked to Lookout about how they think that happened.
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With bond measures totaling $480 million approved, county school districts eager to get improvements started
Four Santa Cruz County public school districts received official approval this week that their bond measures passed, clearing the way for repairing leaky roofs, refurbishing athletic fields and potentially building workforce housing. Leaders told Lookout they’re relieved and appreciative of the community’s support.
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Pajaro Valley Unified School District: Newcomers Turley, Medina and Carrasco win
After Tuesday’s 4 p.m. vote update, Carol Turley, Jessica Carrasco and Gabriel Medina secured seats on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District board against Georgia Acosta, Adam Scow and Oscar Soto respectively.
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School district ballot measures: Most districts secure victories, Live Oak falls short
The majority of Santa Cruz County school district bond and parcel tax measures secured victories after a 4 p.m. Tuesday voting update. Live Oak School District’s Measure N was the only bond measure to fail.
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Scotts Valley Unified School District: Newcomers Espinola, Redenbacher and Turzak win
After a 4 p.m. Tuesday vote drop, Stephanie Espinola, Gary Redenbacher and Erica Turzak won seats on the Scotts Valley Unified School District governing board. Michael Schulman, Mitali Weiglein and Tuka Gafari were unsuccessful.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Over 100 students take part in choir festival at Aptos High
The daylong Pajaro Valley Unified School District Choir Festival at Aptos High’s Performing Arts Center on Nov. 16 featured group rehearsals, vocal workshops, performances by Cabrillo Youth Chorus and a concert directed by Cheryl Anderson, director of choral activities at Cabrillo College.
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Dispute over seniors center helps sink Live Oak School District workforce housing bond
Live Oak School District’s $45 million bond measure appears headed for failure, in part due to a dispute with local seniors groups over plans to use the funds to demolish a district-owned seniors center to build housing for teachers and staff.