Education

Education

Report: Santa Clara County education office misused funds

A federal investigation has found more than $135,370 earmarked for preschool education program Head Start was misappropriated to pay for non-Head Start staff and credit card purchases, according to the Santa Clara County Office of Education. Interim Superintendent of Schools Charles Hinman said the failure has been remedied in a Wednesday statement. But he said...

San Jose teachers prioritize safety in contract negotiations

A teachers union is joining parents in demanding San Jose’s largest school district makes schools safer. Following increased incidents of weapons on campus and social media threats post-pandemic, the San Jose Teachers Association is calling on the San Jose Unified School District to provide safe and stable schools. This year, the union is including “teaching...

Ex-Silicon Valley education leader splurged on staffing

A top Silicon Valley education leader had five highly-paid admins and assistants working for her — with some making nearly $200,000 each a year in public dollars meant to serve the county’s most vulnerable students. An analysis by San José Spotlight revealed an office studded with six-figure salaried assistants, strategy managers and a “senior administrator...

Another San Jose district plans to close schools

Another San Jose school district is set to close several campuses due to an extensive budget deficit. A consolidation advisory committee in the Franklin-McKinley School District is recommending closing three of the district’s 16 schools because of declining student enrollment, the depletion of one-time COVID funding and an almost $23 million budget shortfall. The schools...

San Jose State plans major campus redesign

San Jose State University wants to renovate its main and south campuses to make way for a projected enrollment increase of 8,000 students through 2040. The San Jose State University Campus Master Plan has several facets. It will include 2 million square feet of academic space and student support services. More than 1 million square feet...

West Valley school district changes election process

A West Valley high school district is changing how it elects board members to improve representation and rebuild community trust. The Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District board of trustees unanimously approved transitioning from at-large elections to by-trustee area elections earlier this month. The change will evenly split the district into five trustee areas. Residents will only...