The Pajaro Valley Unified School District governing board voted by majority Wednesday night to reject the superintendent’s proposal for layoffs totaling 100.55 full-time-equivalent positions for certificated and classified staff. Superintendent Heather Contreras said she’s concerned about the district’s finances and will begin working on the next steps.
Pajaro Valley Unified School District
Posted inEducation
Pajaro Valley Unified School District board to vote Wednesday on layoffs totaling 100.55 full-time-equivalent positions
Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s governing board has challenging decisions to make at its Wednesday evening board meeting. Trustees will vote on making about 100 full-time-equivalent layoffs to staff as a result of the district’s loss of one-time pandemic funds from the federal government and from declining enrollment.
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As pandemic funds for student mental health expire, county schools find success with wellness centers
Santa Cruz County educators launched a school wellness center at Scotts Valley High this week, part of an eight-center mental health initiative, even as pandemic-era funding cuts force some districts to reduce services.
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PVUSD approves agreement with Iowa university for student teacher
Pajaro Valley Unified School District agreed last week with an Iowa university to pair one of its teachers-in-training with a MacQuiddy Elementary School teacher for the remainder of the year. In a Jan. 15 vote, the governing board failed to pass the agreement.
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Pajaro Valley Unified School District approves $5 million in cuts to elementary staff, mental health services
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s board of trustees voted to make reductions to district programs funded by one-time pandemic-era funding, including its mental health clinician program. The trustees needed to slash $5 million from the district’s budget based on recommendations from its “sustainable budget team.”
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Pajaro Valley Unified School District board to hold special meeting on ethnic studies
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s board of trustees voted to schedule a special meeting in March to discuss the district’s ethnic studies curriculum. The meeting will examine its current curriculum and decide on next steps.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: We support the Pajaro Valley for Ethnic Studies’ op-ed
In a letter to the editor, a member of Santa Cruz Jews for a Free Palestine calls on Pajaro Valley Unified School District to renew its ethnic studies contract with Community Responsive Education.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
The voters and the court have spoken — PVUSD needs to bring back its ethnic studies contract
Members of the grassroots group Pajaro Valley for Ethnic Studies and Justice call on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District board to renew its contract with an ethnic studies consultant, which was dropped in September 2023 after vague allegations of antisemitism. The authors cite benefits to students, strong student and community support and a recent court case that dismissed similar antisemitism allegations against ethnic studies educators as reasons for bringing the contract back.
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Campaign donations spark rift over how to fill vacant seats on Pajaro Valley Unified School District board
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.
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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.