The board vice president of an East San Jose school district will give back thousands of dollars in health care premiums after the district overpaid him, due to an administrative error. Andres Quintero, board vice president of the Alum Rock Union School District, will be required to reimburse the district $4,527.90 in insurance premiums. The...
Future of East San Jose youth center uncertain after fire
A devastating fire that recently gutted a vacant youth center in East San Jose hasn’t diminished the community’s desire to restore it for future use. The former Mexican American Community Services Agency (MACSA) building burned down Friday, breaking the hearts of Eastside advocates who want to revitalize and reuse the space. The Alum Rock Union...
NBC Bay Area: Fire scorches vacant MACSA building in San Jose
A three-alarm fire destroyed the vacant former MACSA youth center in San Jose early Friday. At about 1 a.m., San Jose firefighters responded to a large fire at the vacant building at 600 Sinclair Drive in the city’s Mayfair district, officials said. Fire officials told NBC Bay Area the building was fully involved when they...
San Jose group targets small businesses to uplift neighborhood
As East San Jose’s Mayfair neighborhood struggles with poverty, gentrification and divestment, one group is creating a plan to uplift people economically. Last year, workers with nonprofit Amigos de Guadalupe knocked on doors in Mayfair to learn about what residents need most. Residents said they want a way to make more income and have more...
East San Jose school leader fired for looking into questionable expenses
A former East San Jose school superintendent is speaking out about his abrupt firing, saying he was let go for asking board members to reimburse questionable expenses billed to the district. The Alum Rock Union School District board of trustees voted July 31 to fire then-Superintendent German Cerda, less than a year after he was...
East San Jose school district scrambles to hire interim superintendent
After hiring and firing a second superintendent within one year, Alum Rock Union School District chose a new interim leader. In an unanimous vote during a special board of trustees meeting on Saturday, the district appointed, effective Aug. 12, Sandra Garcia, assistant superintendent of instructional services as its acting superintendent. Garcia had already assumed major...
East San Jose school district fires superintendent hired last year
The Alum Rock Union School District board of trustees on Thursday voted to fire recently appointed Superintendent German Cerda. The board of trustees said in a statement it has “unilaterally” ended the employment relationship with Cerda effective in 10 days. No other explanation was given. The board and administration are focused on the successful opening...
San Jose official wants ICE agents to wear identification
One San Jose official wants to unmask federal immigration officers when they conduct operations in the city. District 5 Councilmember Peter Ortiz is proposing a policy that would require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to wear identification. The policy notes masked ICE agents and people impersonating them pose threats to public safety. Ortiz...
Santa Clara County immigrants are self-deporting
Across Santa Clara County, a new phenomenon is happening: immigrants are choosing to self-deport. It’s something immigration attorney Richard Hobbs has never seen in his 35-year career. There’s only been two people so far who have contacted his office to inform him of their decision — but Hobbs said other attorneys have told him people...
Silicon Valley officials rally to defend immigrants from ICE
San Jose resident Adilene Alvarez never expected her husband to be grabbed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while driving their two young children to day care in April. She never expected him to be held in the Bakersfield Federal Detention Center or to be threatened by federal agents that her children would be...