Sixteen candidates are running for nine seats in five school districts across Santa Cruz County. Lookout sent questionnaires to all of them asking about the most pressing issues facing their schools. Here, we take a look at San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District.
Local elections
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Farmland vs. families? Rancor over Watsonville’s future divides along lines of age, equity, an agrarian ideal
For the longtime Watsonville folks who support Measure Q, which would keep the urban limit line as it is for two more decades, Pajaro Valley soil is not something worth messing with, imperfections and all. Those among the younger, more diverse population who support Measure S believe the city’s affordability crisis might require more flexibility for growth over that span. Will young voters turn out for S? Will Q supporters convince enough voters there is a real fear of “sprawl” and of Watsonville “turning into San Jose”?
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz County Election 2022 weekly update: October 31
The final round of fundraising and expenditure reports for Santa Cruz County candidates were due late Thursday. Lookout…
Posted inK-12 Education
Scotts Valley Unified School District candidates on teacher pay, mental health and declining enrollment
Sixteen candidates are running for nine seats in five school districts across Santa Cruz County. Lookout sent questionnaires to all of them, asking about the most pressing issues facing their schools. Here, we take a look at Scotts Valley Unified School District.
Posted inK-12 Education
Measures K and L: $371 million in bonds to Santa Cruz City Schools for repairs, building workforce housing
Voters in the Santa Cruz City Schools high school and elementary school districts will be casting ballots in the November election to decide if the district should issue $371 million in bonds to fund renovating the schools and building workforce housing. If the measures pass, property owners will pay between the equivalent of four cups of coffee per month or one pizza per month, depending on where they live and which of the measures applies to them.
Posted inEvents, Politics & Policy
New Library vs. Renovated Library: What would Santa Cruz get?
Let’s do a side-by-side comparison. The new downtown branch library will make a statement, and for a long time, about downtown Santa Cruz. Whether built new on a current parking lot or renovated where it’s sat since 1969, it’ll cost more than $40 million for the best possible of each. Wallace Baine talks with architect Abraham Jayson, giving us a virtual tour of what each would be like.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Measure O and parking in downtown Santa Cruz: Counting the spots and the money
A 243-space parking garage is at the heart of the Measure O debate. Here we look at all the moving pieces on the lots all around downtown Santa Cruz, and the dollars-and-cents questions that surround them.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Following the money: Final campaign finance receipts provide clues to Nov. 8
The final round of fundraising and expenditure reports for Santa Cruz County candidates were due late Thursday. Lookout dug in to see what stories they told. Here’s what we found.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Who are Santa Cruz’s District 4 city council candidates? None has held public office before
None of the three District 4 candidates — Greg Hyver, Hector Marin and Scott Newsome — has held elected office before. They all acknowledge they have much to learn, and each has a unique vision of Santa Cruz’s needs. Hyver advocates for direct democracy, Marin is a Latino activist who seeks change, and Newsome calls himself a political pragmatist. Here, each briefly answers two Lookout questions to help voters understand them better.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Santa Cruz City Council candidates for District 6: Is our council doing well or does it need to change?
Santa Cruz’s two District 6 city council candidates are Renée Golder and Sean Maxwell. Both are parents who want to see the creation of a Westside business organization. Both support clearing the Benchlands homeless encampment and a version of an oversized vehicle ordinance. Golder, the incumbent, is against Measures N and O. Maxwell is for both. Maxwell wants to shake up the city council, while Golder thinks it’s headed in the right direction. Here, each briefly answers two Lookout questions to help voters understand them better.
