Following abuse allegations against farmworker and civil rights activist Cesar Chávez, Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s governing board voted to rename his namesake Watsonville middle school Central Coast Middle School — a move that preserves its CCMS acronym and keeps rebranding costs under $25,000.
Pajaro Valley Unified School District
Posted inEducation
As arts funding boosts many local schools, PVUSD faces questions over spending and transparency
Three years after California voters approved Proposition 28, many Santa Cruz County school districts say the arts funding has expanded programs and opportunities for students — but teachers in Pajaro Valley Unified are raising questions about how millions of dollars have been spent and why the district has lacked transparency.
Posted inEducation
Pajaro Valley Unified school board renews school resource officer contracts
Pajaro Valley Unified School District renewed contracts this week with local law enforcement agencies to provide on-campus officers at Aptos High, Watsonville High and Pajaro Valley High.
Posted inEducation
Pajaro Valley Unified chief business officer resigns
Pajaro Valley Unified School District Chief Business Officer Gerardo Castillo announced his resignation this week after less than a year on the job. His departure comes as the district grapples with continued strains on its budget.
Posted inEducation
Watsonville police charge woman with criminal threats after social media comment
Watsonville police officers arrested a 22-year-old woman Friday after they say she posted a threatening comment on Instagram directed at the Pajaro Valley Unified School District board.
Posted inEducation
Here are the recommendations for renaming Watsonville’s Cesar Chavez Middle School
A Pajaro Valley Unified School District committee has recommended renaming Cesar E. Chavez Middle School either Central Coast Middle School or Tagami Hashimoto Middle School following allegations of sexual abuse against the late civil rights and farmworker advocate that surfaced earlier this year. The school board reviewed the options last week and is expected to vote on a new name at a future meeting.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
Police determine suspicious device found at Watsonville High to be ‘nonexplosive science experiment’
Watsonville police officers were investigating a suspicious device found on the Watsonville High School campus Thursday morning.
Posted inRecreation & Sports
Freedom Elementary School students to escort World Cup players onto the field Tuesday night
Freedom Elementary School fourth grader Isai Guerrero and 10 classmates will escort players onto the field before Tuesday night’s World Cup match between Austria and Jordan at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Teachers at Pajaro Middle School say they don’t feel safe or supported. Why isn’t the district acting?
Pajaro Middle School survived catastrophic flooding in 2023, but now faces a different challenge: a breakdown in trust between teachers, administrators and the district, writes Brandon Diniz, president of the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers Local 1936. Teachers cite safety concerns, poor communication and inadequate responses to serious incidents, he writes. In May, 88% of teachers said they had no confidence in principal Nicole Killian’s leadership. District leaders, Diniz says, can no longer dismiss the concerns as a labor dispute and must address the serious issues the school faces.
Posted inEducation
Majority of Pajaro Middle School teachers demand removal or resignation of principal
A majority of teachers at Pajaro Middle School have voted that they have no confidence in Principal Nicole Killian, alleging she failed to follow safety and disciplinary protocols and calling for her resignation or removal. Pajaro Valley Unified School District said it takes all safety reports seriously and reviews concerns through established processes.
