Watsonville native Omar Dieguez is on a monthlong hunger strike to protest the use of pesticides near schools in the Pajaro Valley. His goal is to pressure local berry growers, particularly Driscoll’s, to stop spraying pesticides near schools and work to convert to organic practices.
K-12 Education
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Ben Lomond’s Alba Schoolhouse delisted as historic landmark, but rebuilding efforts continue
The historic Alba Schoolhouse in Ben Lomond was officially delisted from the county’s landmark inventory this week, but a dedicated group of volunteers is pushing forward with long-term plans to rebuild what was lost in the 2020 CZU fire.
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Pajaro Valley Unified faces financial future with vote on new business chief, look at unspent arts funding and budget update
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District board will vote Wednesday on a new chief business officer as it faces continued fiscal challenges. Trustees will also hear a report showing improvements in student attendance, suspensions and graduation rates across the district.
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Five years after CZU, Bonny Doon Elementary lost students, but found a renewed purpose in healing
Five years after narrowly escaping the CZU fires, Bonny Doon Elementary has transformed from a small mountain school into a vital community anchor. Despite falling enrollment, the school expanded mental health services and created new programs to help students and families heal from dual traumas of wildfire and pandemic isolation.
Posted inEducation
California changed the way it teaches science. But test scores remain low
Nearly a decade after California revamped its K-12 science curriculum, two-thirds of students failed to meet the statewide standard.
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At Santa Cruz High, years of construction drag on with no firm end in sight
Years of construction at Santa Cruz High, meant to modernize the historic campus, have instead created a maze of fencing and relocated programs that is testing the patience of students and teachers who say they dream of the day their school won’t feel like an endless work in progress.
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Pajaro Valley Unified School District board to explore lowering voting age for board elections to age 16
Three Pajaro Valley Unified School District trustees have formed a committee to explore lowering the voting age to 16 for school board elections, aiming to give students more say in decisions that directly affect them.
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Seeking adventure, new Aptos High principal trades Alaska’s dark winters for California sun
After about five decades in Alaska, educator Lisa Lansdale has relocated to California to become the new principal of Aptos High School. As she steps into a leadership role at a school still recovering from recent turmoil, Lansdale aims to foster safety and joy.
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California invested millions pushing these careers for women. The results are disappointing
Women continue to lag behind men in certain science, technology, engineering and math programs, according to an analysis of colleges’ data by the Public Policy Institute of California on behalf of CalMatters
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Watsonville High School senior appointed 2025-26 PVUSD student trustee
Watsonville High School senior Desiderio Salinas-Holz has been appointed as the 2025-26 Pajaro Valley Unified School District board of education student trustee.