Watsonville High School senior Desiderio Salinas-Holz has been appointed as the 2025-26 Pajaro Valley Unified School District (PVUSD) board of education student trustee.
The district announced the appointment in a media release last week, reporting that Salinas-Holz would be taking over for ‘24-25 student trustee Daniel Esqueda starting this Wednesday.
“One of my primary goals for this year is to help improve the opportunities that are available across schools in our district,” Salinas-Holz said in the release, “so that all students have equitable access to the same quality of resources and are able to succeed.”
Salinas-Holz’s role as student trustee will see him symbolically representing the 15,000 students in Santa Cruz County’s biggest school district at board meetings throughout the school year, where he will be able to make motions, express opinions and cast votes.
As part of these responsibilities, the senior will lead the Inter-High Council, a league of student leaders from across PVUSD high schools, to discuss relevant issues, allowing him to communicate and provide the board with feedback on behalf of students across the district.
Salinas-Holz will also serve as a co-leader of the Superintendent Student Advisory Council, a group of approximately 40 students selected through the student trustee application process. Throughout six meetings held throughout the year, Salinas-Holz will be responsible for guiding the conversation to address relevant student concerns and explore potential solutions.
“Student Trustee Salinas-Holz’s appointment is an exciting step forward in continuing our efforts to include students in the decision-making process,” said Superintendent Heather Contreras. “We look forward to his leadership and the vital contributions he will make to our community.”
The PVUSD board of trustees is currently meeting every three weeks, on Wednesdays at 6 p.m., at the district office boardroom on 294 Green Valley Rd. in Watsonville.
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FOR THE RECORD: This story has been updated to correct the name of one of the councils Salinas-Holz will serve on, and to correct the frequency of PVUSD board meetings and when public session begins.
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