The Santa Clara County Board of Education has tried to turn a page after the dramatic firing of its former superintendent set off uproar and internal spending probes. Trouble could be brewing with its newest superintendent. On Monday, board trustees met behind closed doors for a special meeting that flagged an emerging, but unspecified issue...
East San Jose charter school at risk of closing
An East San Jose charter school serving immigrant families is at risk of closure. Escuela Popular, a bilingual and bicultural school, could close its doors after serving the community for almost 40 years due to a state law that requires all charter school teachers to be fully credentialed. The school, part of the East Side...
Santa Clara County education board looks to reform amid probe
Santa Clara County Office of Education leaders say a series of probes they ordered into their former superintendent found contract favoritism and improper use of funds – though the full reports have not been made public. The Board of Education took a first swing on policy changes stemming from those findings, which focus on former...
Santa Clara County DA looks into alleged misuse of school funds
Parents in an East San Jose school district are calling for county officials to investigate a trustee who was reimbursed thousands of dollars by the district for college courses. Andres Quintero, board vice president of the Alum Rock Union School District, is facing criticism for a $22,700 reimbursement he received from the district for taking...
San Jose parents want school trustee to return funds or resign
Community members of an East San Jose school district are demanding a trustee repay funds or step down from serving on the board. Alum Rock Union School District parents and advocates are demanding Board Vice President Andres Quintero reimburse funds he received from the district to pay for academic courses to earn his Ph.D. —...
East San Jose school district changes how leaders are elected
An East San Jose school district is changing how and when its board members are elected. The East Side Union High School District board of trustees on Oct. 3 unanimously approved switching from at-large elections to district elections and adopted a final district map. The board also determined what years trustees would be up for...
San Jose State guarantees admission for South County students
San Jose State University has launched a program to provide South County students a clear path to obtaining a four-year degree. The university’s “Pathways to Success” initiative aims to increase college access for historically underserved communities. It’s partnering with Gilroy Unified School District and Morgan Hill Unified School District, and held events at Christopher High...
Silicon Valley community college district buys workforce housing
Dozens of Santa Clara County professors and administrative staff will be some of the first to move into affordable apartments reserved for community college employees, thanks to one school district’s unique housing approach. The Foothill-De Anza Community College District board unanimously approved a roughly $54.5 million purchase of 50 affordable apartments for staff earlier this month. The...
East San Jose school district buys campus amid deficit
One East San Jose school district is purchasing a vacant school after closing six campuses this year due to a multimillion-dollar deficit. Alum Rock Union School District is using $5 million from Measure S funds, a bond passed by voters in 2022 for school improvements, to purchase the former Downtown College Prep Alum Rock Charter...
East San Jose school district waits for burned youth center assessment
As an East San Jose school district gets quotes to potentially demolish a former vacant youth center that caught fire last month, advocates are still attempting to save it. The Alum Rock Union School District is still weighing what needs to be done with the former Mexican American Community Services Agency (MACSA) building, which burned...