Santa Clara County’s English learner students, part of the largest group in the nation, saw mixed progress during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Santa Clara County school districts with the largest populations of English learners, data reviewed by San José Spotlight showed three districts had a drop in test scores while the others saw an increase. The...
San Jose mayor promised change but hired Liccardo insiders
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan ran a campaign promising a “revolution” at City Hall. But with nearly half his office filled with senior officials from his predecessor, some are questioning whether he can keep that promise. Mahan, who said his staffing and policy priorities would differ from his predecessor, has hired 11 workers from former Mayor Sam...
Santa Clara County preps for more rain
Santa Clara County is getting a brief break from the rain before storms return over the weekend, prompting officials to urge residents to prepare for emergencies. In a news conference today, county officials asked residents to sign up for the AlertSCC app, an alert and warning system for flooding, power outages, road closures and mudslides....
Santa Clara County graduation rates are up
More Santa Clara County students are crossing the stage to get their diplomas than years past, and education leaders hope to keep the momentum going. High school graduation rates for the 2021-22 school year increased across Santa Clara County’s largest school districts, data from the California State Dashboard reveals. Rates also went up for vulnerable...
Alviso resident settles development lawsuit
An Alviso man known for challenging developments proposed in the North San Jose neighborhood has settled a lawsuit with a hotel developer, while ramping up rhetoric against a nonprofit food bank he’s suing. Resident Mark Espinoza dismissed his lawsuit against Milpitas-based Terra Development Partners and San Jose last month after the developer and Espinoza agreed to...
San Jose changes rules to replenish tree canopy
San Jose is changing how it manages its shrinking urban canopy after an audit found the city is ineffectively preventing tree loss. San Jose councilmembers voted unanimously Tuesday to change how the city collects and reviews permits to remove trees, develop procedures to enforce replanting requirements and identify large locations to replant trees. There are roughly...
San Jose renters rally for more rights
A coalition of local groups is calling on the San Jose City Council to prioritize policies preventing displacement of renters amid the ongoing housing crisis. The coalition, which includes Sacred Heart Community Service, SOMOS Mayfair, the South Bay Community Land Trust and others, want city policymakers to bolster renter’s rights, preserve affordable rental housing and stop criminalizing...
UPDATE: Santa Clara County sinks millions into mental health crisis
Santa Clara County is investing millions in mental health programs and workers to address an ongoing crisis. The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved roughly $9.5 million to continue several mental health programs, such as residential treatment services, at its Tuesday meeting. Local officials also voted to spend more than $14 million to create 38 full-time...
A new year, a new San Jose council
The first San Jose City Council meeting of the year feels like the first day of school. New Mayor Matt Mahan and freshman Councilmembers Rosemary Kamei, Omar Torres, Peter Ortiz and Bien Doan took pictures with loved ones in front of the dais before being sworn into office on Tuesday. Councilmember Pam Foley, who ran for reelection...
Thousands raised for blind and homeless Sunnyvale man
Mir Sayed’s connection to the world just got a whole lot stronger. The homeless blind and hearing-impaired senior, who spends his days listening to a radio, received a surge of community support to help him stayed housed after San José Spotlight reported about his potential eviction. The 93-year-old initially had just enough funds to stay...