Hillary OJeda

Santa Cruz County districts and neighboring school districts were locked in tight races, with some edging past thresholds for success, while others hovered just below the margin for passage.

Santa Cruz County education leaders say there's a feeling of anxiety among many families in the wake of Donald Trump's presidential victory. To immigrant and LGBTQ+ families, they say they'll uphold and protect their rights.

More than 37,000 University of California system workers from two different unions, including hundreds of custodial and transportation workers at UC Santa Cruz, are preparing to strike Nov. 20-21 after filing unfair labor practice complaints. UC officials say the strike announcement is “disheartening.”

UC Santa Cruz says it followed the law when it implemented two-week bans from campus against protesters who were arrested May 31 at the Gaza solidarity encampment. Two students and one professor filed a lawsuit alleging that the university didn't follow policies on due process for the bans. Next Tuesday, a judge could decide the outcome.

A senior at Pacific Collegiate School, Zero Pabich felt horrible after the news of Donald Trump's victory last week. So the day after the election, Pabich said they began organizing a protest to show that young people will continue fighting to protect the rights of marginalized communities.

On Thursday evening, Mountain Elementary School’s fourth grade class will be performing a musical about the building of the transcontinental railroad. While the school’s students perform a play every year, this one is different. The school’s principal thinks this will be the first time they perform a musical written entirely by a student.

The union representing hundreds of transit, dining and health workers at University of California system campuses, including UC Santa Cruz, is holding a two-day strike on Wednesday and Thursday, causing campus officials to warn of potential disruption to dining hall and bus services. AFSCME 3299 workers voted to strike earlier this month after filing unfair labor practice charges against the UC and accusing the university of illegal bad faith bargaining.

A Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge denied a request by UC Santa Cruz protesters Tuesday morning to stop the university from banning people from campus without due process. A preliminary injunction would have paused the practice as the protesters' lawsuit against the bans proceeded in the courts. In the meantime, UCSC updated its policy on the bans.

UC Santa Cruz dining, transit and patient care workers began a two-day strike Wednesday morning as part of a systemwide labor action. Workers have accused the University of California of negotiating in bad faith over pay increases and health care costs.

Santa Cruz County could one day have a medical school. UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Cynthia Larive is in early discussions exploring if the university could help fill a void and relieve a local and statewide primary care physician shortage. While no specific timeline has been determined, officials say the planning process could take more than a decade.