Retired special needs teacher Woody Rehanek believes Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s unusually high rates of special needs students are linked to decades of pesticide exposure near schools and homes. He’s shocked by the district’s December decision to cut 160 positions, including 40 serving special needs students. He cites research showing organophosphates and related chemicals can impair brain development, contributing to learning disabilities. He calls on berry growers to go organic near schools and make large donations to make up the budget gaps. The PVUSD cuts, he warns, could trigger lawsuits and cause lifelong harm to kids and our community.
K-12 Education
Posted inLatest News
More than 1,000 students throng downtown Santa Cruz in anti-ICE protest
More than 1,000 students from local schools staged a walkout and marched through downtown Santa Cruz on Friday to protest against ICE and Trump administration policies before settling in outside the county courthouse.
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Sheriff’s office confirms gun found at Aptos High linked to winter break incident
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed a gun discovered earlier this month on the Aptos High School campus was in fact connected to a December incident. The statement released Wednesday said there’s no ongoing threat to the community.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Judge rules Trump administration must keep funding child care subsidies in five states, including California, for now
A federal judge ruled Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration must keep federal funds flowing to child care subsidies and other social service programs in five Democratic-controlled states — including California — at least for now.
Posted inEducation
Pacific Collegiate School changes laptop policy after student privacy concerns
Weeks after issuing Chromebooks to all students, the charter school on Santa Cruz’s Westside revised its laptop policy after student feedback, adding limits on monitoring and an opt-out for older students.
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Sheriff investigators: Gun found at Aptos High likely related to fight during winter break
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said the gun found in the bushes at Aptos High School is connected to a “physical altercation” that happened near the school over winter break.
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Lockdown at Santa Cruz High reported on Facebook confirmed to be just a drill
A reported lockdown Thursday morning at Santa Cruz High School was confirmed to be a drill by a staffer in the school’s main office.
Posted inEducation
Aptos principal addresses parent concerns amid investigation into gun on campus
About 16 parents attended an Aptos High School booster club meeting Tuesday where Principal Lisa Lansdale acknowledged widespread anxiety over the lack of information following the discovery of a gun on the campus.
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Aptos resident claims he found gun, ammo near Aptos High as investigation continues
An Aptos resident says he found a gun near Aptos High School during a morning walk with his dog on Sunday, setting off an ongoing law enforcement investigation. He described the incident, which has not been confirmed by police, as “divine intervention.”
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Hundreds of Watsonville High students walk out of class to take stand against immigration enforcement
Hundreds of Watsonville High School students staged a walkout Tuesday afternoon in protest of immigration-related enforcement. The protest follows the arrest of a Watsonville resident and reported ICE activity in the area over the weekend.