One group of educators and parents is fighting to stop the closure of a neighborhood middle school in East San Jose. At last week’s Alum Rock Union School District board meeting, teachers, parents and students showed up to save Aptitud Community Academy at Goss, a TK-8 public school, after the district’s decision to shut down...
San Jose preps plan to rework one of its most dangerous roads
One of San Jose’s most dangerous roads is gearing up for a major upgrade. King Road, a six-mile street bounded by Berryessa Road to the north and East Capitol Expressway to the south, is slated for improvements. The city’s transportation department is finalizing a plan that targets safety and traffic flow. From 2018 to 2023, eight people, including an infant,...
East San Jose school district seeks partner to save former youth center
A blighted East San Jose youth center has received a brief reprieve from the wrecking ball as community leaders work to save it. The Alum Rock Union School District board of trustees last week voted unanimously to postpone the demolition of the former Mexican American Community Services Agency (MACSA) building for six months. This is...
District 8 San Jose council candidates debate at Evergreen forum
The four candidates running for the District 8 San Jose City Council seat recently debated issues ranging from homelessness to public safety in the Evergreen neighborhood. Incumbent Councilmember Domingo Candelas, Surinder “Suri” Kaur Dhaliwal, Sukhdev Bainiwal and Tam Truong spoke to about 50 residents at The Villages Golf and Country Club Wednesday in a forum hosted...
East San Jose store’s fight to sell booze takes bizarre twist
An East San Jose convenience store’s simple application for a permit to sell alcohol has spiraled into a tangled knot of controversy and accusations of foul play. The San Jose City Council on Tuesday denied a conditional use permit that would have allowed Fast Mart, a small store at 1484 S. White Road, to sell...
Student homelessness grows in San Jose school district
The number of homeless high school students and families in one East San Jose school district has increased threefold in just three years. The East Side Union High School District has approximately 900 unhoused students, compared to 300 in 2020. Officials said the number continues to climb and cite inflation, cost of living increases and...
Crosswalk coming to deadly East San Jose street
One of San Jose’s most dangerous streets will be getting new safety features to protect children going to school. Councilmember Peter Ortiz and a group of parents from Rocketship Fuerza Community Prep, led by community organizer and teacher Blanca Carbajal, hosted a town hall Thursday to talk about a new crosswalk coming in front of...
State suspension law creates conflict at East San Jose school
A state law created to protect vulnerable student populations from disproportionate levels of suspension and expulsion is complicating matters for an East San Jose high school. Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed Senate Bill 274 that bars willful defiance or low-level behavioral issues from suspending students in grades 6-12. The new law, which goes into effect...
East San Jose school district to tackle violence
An East San Jose school district is responding to community safety concerns after a string of violent campus incidents, but teachers and parents want long-term preventive measures. East Side Union High School District Superintendent Glenn Vander Zee has agreed to establish a school safety task force comprised of teachers, administrators, parents, students and board members...
San Jose ex-politician won’t give up social media accounts
A former San Jose councilmember is posturing as an elected official on social media, despite multiple demands by the city to turn over these official accounts. Former Councilmember Maya Esparza is holding the District 7 social media accounts and associated websites hostage, even as the city attorney, manager, clerk and current Councilmember Bien Doan have requested she...