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One East San Jose school district is looking at how post-pandemic challenges are contributing to students skipping school, as chronic absenteeism rises in the local education system. One out of five students in the East Side Union High School District were chronically absent in the 2021-22 school year, missing class as families struggled with financial...
Low voter turnout to determine San Jose elections
Last updated 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The next update is expected by 5 p.m. Thursday. A competitive San Jose mayoral race and an open seat for county sheriff failed to inspire strong turnout in last week’s election. Poor voter participation in East San Jose neighborhoods could potentially swing two key races. County election officials still...
Expulsions rising in East San Jose schools
Expulsions are on the rise in one of San Jose’s largest school districts, another symptom of post-pandemic education. The East Side Union High School District had an uptick in expulsions last school year. As schools contend with the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on student behavior, the district is ensuring students who face expulsion have clear paths to...
Parking battles highlight East San Jose’s struggles
With the sun setting over East San Jose, Rabia Khan pointed to the maintenance hole cover in the street she and her friends used as a makeshift pitcher’s mound as children, running freely along the street’s curbs. “I used to play on this street all the time,” she told San José Spotlight on a recent weeknight....
East San Jose theater planned as community nexus
For East San Jose, introducing a performing arts space means more than theater. It’s a window into the community’s future. As part of a redevelopment project, a mostly vacant block of stores on Alum Rock Avenue is being reimagined. Part of the plan is a theater that will bring vibrancy to the neighborhood, provide jobs,...
San Jose rent hike could push out tenants
Residents at an East San Jose affordable housing complex found an apparent loophole in the city’s rent control policy that favors the property owner and are fighting an October rent hike. Chanting “Sí, se puede,” which translate to “Yes, we can,” roughly 100 residents and local organizers took to the streets to protest a 10%...
East San Jose school nets millions from state
An East San Jose school is receiving millions in state funding for early learning education, which officials say will provide crucial support for students, especially those from communities of color. The Cesar Chavez Early Learning Center is getting $7 million through the California Department of Education’s State Preschool program. The Alum Rock Union School District site...
Closed San Jose golf course may become housing
East San Jose residents are raising alarms over the potential development of a massive former golf course. An obscure policy change recommended by the city’s Transportation and Environment Committee could lay the foundation for the 114-acre former Pleasant Hills Golf Course to be built out with housing, commercial space or both. The committee is pushing...
San Jose church tackles teacher housing
Grace Chaverini’s morning commute is a walk right across the street to St. John Vianney’s Catholic school, thanks to the church’s innovative approach to teacher housing. The Catholic parish transformed its convent into teacher housing for 16 people in an effort to offset living costs for educators. The East San Jose church is looking for...
Event highlights East San Jose streetwear
A movement to elevate streetwear and promote local artists is bringing cultural pride to East San Jose. Rap artists, hip hop dancers and live painters entertained crowds at KixCon, an inaugural event held at the Eastridge Center mall last weekend. Featuring brands born from hip hop culture, the goal of the event was to uplift...