PVUSD loses 26% enrollment, now using partnerships with big companies to entice students

Pajaro Valley Unified School District, like many districts across California, is facing declining enrolment. The district has lost 26% of its population, but continues to be Santa Cruz County’s largest district. In context, in 2015, the district had more than 20,000 students, and in this new year, there are about 15,200. Interim Superintendent Murry Schekman says staffing, the budget, and test results are the biggest issues at the top of mind going into this new school year. The budget is taking a big cut due to the lack of enrolment. But staffing is looking to be on the mend. The district says they’ve been able to fill nearly 100% of their teacher vacancies. The district is focusing on programs like career technical education or CTE pathways to entice more students to enroll and build new partnerships with major companies. “The district made a decision in 2019 to take the CTE funding from the state and, instead of having it go through the county, come to us. We own it, we hire the teachers, they’re part of our district and the integration. Because of that move, before I got back here, it’s just perfect,” Schekman said. Some of the pathways offered to students are engineering, music entrepreneurialism, and education. The goal of these courses is to boost students’ financial literacy, civic engagement, and confidence when heading into college or the workforce. “Equity has been a huge driver for us and is at the center that all of our students would have a choice whether it’s to go onto a for your college and to your college to your transfer technical training or into the workforce well prepared and confident,” said Julie Edwards, PVUSD career technical education coordinator. The district is…