After months of delaying a decision, the San Jose Unified School District will consider later this month whether to keep police on school campuses. Students protested against officers at district middle schools and high schools at a board meeting this month. They said being under constant surveillance is intimidating and makes them feel uneasy and...
Santa Clara County cracks down on student absenteeism
More than 25,000 Santa Clara County students are chronically absent from school each year. Elected officials want to change that. The county Board of Supervisors this week voted unanimously to create a plan and funding options to address the issue. County leaders hope that contracts and a work plan are ironed out for the start...
San Jose school districts still require masks for students
Sorry kids, but you still need to keep your masks on at school. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) relaxed mask requirements for people fully vaccinated against COVID-19, it recommends K-12 students continue to wear face coverings and keep social distancing. The CDC based this decision on students not being fully vaccinated...
Residents ponder what San Jose college should do with 27 acres
After negotiations with a major developer fell through and a lawsuit followed, the 27 acres of open land along Evergreen Valley College remained untouched for years. And now it’s back to the drawing board for what should happen to the college-owned land. The once promising development opportunity sits in limbo as the San Jose Evergreen...
Silicon Valley education leader pays legal fees with campaign funds
After dropping a lawsuit against the Santa Clara County Board of Education, Trustee Joseph Di Salvo had one last thing to wrap up: legal fees, which he paid off with campaign funds. According to Di Salvo’s latest campaign statement covering Oct. 18 to Dec. 31, 2020, he owes $4,885 to law firm Berliner & Cohen, which represented...
East San Jose high schools get new superintendent
A new superintendent is preparing to take the reins in East San Jose and he’s all about leveling the playing field. Associate Superintendent of Educational Services Glenn Vander Zee, who was named East Side Union High School District’s new superintendent last week, shares a vision of empowering students and creating equity. Vander Zee also worked as...
South Bay students support university system’s COVID vax requirement
Some South Bay college students have no qualms about getting a COVID-19 shot before being allowed back on campus, they told San Jose Spotlight. “All my friends are trying to get vaccinated before heading off to college for safety and convenience,” said Nolan Jeung, a San Jose student who will attend California Polytechnic State University,...
Alum Rock trustees vote to close two San Jose middle schools
Facing a deficit of more than $3 million, Alum Rock Union School District trustees voted unanimously to close Clyde L. Fischer Middle School and Lee Mathson Middle School at the start of the 2021-22 school year. The resolution came from Superintendent Hilaria Bauer, who said student enrollment at the schools is projected to plummet 50% by...
Silicon Valley libraries slowly reopening. Here’s what you need to know
For patrons and staff alike, the reopening of the Santa Clara City Library feels like Christmas morning. The public institution recently expanded access to indoor services alongside the Santa Clara County Library District and some branches of the San Jose Public Library. At all three branches of the Santa Clara City Library—Central Park, Mission Branch and Northside Branch—patrons...
South Bay schools reopened, but most students stayed home
Schools in Santa Clara County recently reopened after much anticipation, but most students opted to stay home. Reasons for choosing to continue remote learning ranged from concerns of catching COVID-19 to abbreviated days making transportation difficult for parents. Chris Funk, superintendent for East Side Union High School District and a San José Spotlight columnist, said...