Another San Jose school district is closing schools due to declining enrollment and a multimillion-dollar budget deficit. After intense debate and a two-week postponement, the Franklin-McKinley School District board of trustees voted 3-2 Tuesday to close three elementary schools. Board President George Sanchez, Vice President Steven Sanchez and Trustee Hong Ha Hoang supported the closures,...
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 misallocated 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...
Silicon Valley college program helps students net manufacturing jobs
Agustin Espino worked as a janitor for a manufacturing company about 15 years ago when his fascination with machinery began. His boss sent him to De Anza College in Cupertino for formal training as a machinist, where he eventually became one of the school’s lab technicians. De Anza College, along with five other local schools,...
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...
Santa Clara County education office plans layoffs
Santa Clara County’s top education office is planning for a wave of firings amid questions over top-heavy management and executive assistants with six-figure salaries. Workers will be notified about their dismissal by March 15, according to a Thursday statement by the Santa Clara County Office of Education. It’s unclear how many jobs could be cut....
San Jose education leaders delay decision on school closures
The leaders of a local school district are postponing a decision to close a handful of schools. The Franklin-McKinley School District board of trustees voted 3-2 Tuesday to delay deciding which schools will close by two weeks. Board President George Sanchez and Trustees Rudy Rodriguez and Marc Cooper voted to delay the decision, while Vice...
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...
San Jose State could help manage Google journalism investment
A coalition of California colleges including San Jose State University could manage a landmark investment by Google and the state to fund local newsrooms. The director of San Jose State’s journalism school signed onto an informal proposal submitted last month by department leaders across several other CSU campuses. The idea could place the Cal State...
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...