Voters line up to cast votes about 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5 at the Watsonville City Clerk’s Office. (Fidel M. Soto — Santa Cruz Local)
Last county update: 11/19/2024 4:00:00 PM
Pajaro Valley Unified School District, Trustee Area 2 (vote for 1)
| Candidate | Total | |
|---|---|---|
| Carol Turley | 2,943 (55.21%) | |
| Georgia Acosta | 2,351 (44.10%) |
Pajaro Valley Unified School District, Trustee Area 3 (vote for 1)
Chart tallies Monterey and Santa Cruz county results as of 4 p.m. Nov. 19.
| Candidate | Total | |
|---|---|---|
| Gabriel Jesse Medina | 1,559 (53.4%) | |
| Oscar Soto | 1,358 (46.6%) |
Pajaro Valley Unified School District, Trustee Area 6 (vote for 1)
| Candidate | Total | |
|---|---|---|
| Jessica Carrasco | 2,594 (57.05%) | |
| Adam Bolaños Scow | 1,911 (42.03%) |
M – Pajaro Valley Unified School District Bond – 55% to pass
| Vote | Total | |
|---|---|---|
| Bonds Yes | 21,445 (57.51%) | |
| Bonds No | 15,843 (42.49%) |
WATSONVILLE >> Carol Turley, Jessica Carrasco and Gabriel Jesse Medina led their races for the Pajaro Valley Unified School District board as of 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19.
The school district’s bond Measure M was ahead of the 55% needed. The measure would approve $315 million in bonds to help repair and upgrade Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s 35 schools. Property owners in the school district would pay about $60 per $100,000 of assessed property value annually for roughly 30 years. Assessed value usually changes when a property is sold, and is often lower than the market value.
Santa Cruz County election results are expected to be updated this month, with certified results due in early December.
What are the powers of Pajaro Valley Unified School District trustees?
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District board of trustees is elected to provide leadership and oversight of the district’s schools. The board has the power to:
- Set budgets for the district, including teacher pay.
- Hire and fire the superintendent.
- Develop goals for programs.
- Set policies and approve staffing related to mental health, campus safety and other areas. Read more about the board’s responsibilities.
Each of the seven trustees is elected by voters in a geographical area. Seats for trustee areas 2, 3 and 6 were up in this election.
- Area 2: Salsipuedes and southeastern Watsonville.
- Area 3: Northern Monterey County and southwestern Watsonville including part of Downtown.
- Area 6: Freedom, Larkin Valley, Amesti and surrounding areas.
Carol Turley, Area 2 (Salsipuedes and southeastern Watsonville)
Carol Turley led incumbent Georgia Acosta for the Area 2 seat. Turley, 62, is an Interlaken resident and a community manager of Pajaro Dunes Association.
On teacher retention: Turley said she supports the development of teacher housing.
When asked what she will do to ensure that allegations of inappropriate behavior by staff members are investigated thoroughly and corrective actions are taken, Turley said, “Fast action and thorough investigation are necessary to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all district employees, students, and families. I will engage to ensure that issues are handled properly and promptly. If necessary, I will ask for board review of policies and procedures.”
Read more about Turley and Acosta in Santa Cruz Local’s Election Guide.
Jessica Carrasco, Area 6 (Freedom, Larkin Valley, Amesti)
Jessica Carrasco led incumbent Adam Bolaños Scow for the Area 6 seat. Carrasco, 36, lives in the Calabasas area and is an artist, educator and community organizer.
On teacher retention, Carrasco said she would decrease class sizes to 25, increase instructional aides, work with community organizations to work with students and increase teacher wages.
On student mental health, Carrasco said, “We need more socio-emotional counselors that are not jumping from one school to another. We need at the very minimum one school counselor to be full-time and stationed at one school. We also need to reach out to organizations to help students with mental health issues and prevent suicides.”
Read more about Carrasco and Scow in Santa Cruz Local’s Election Guide.
Gabriel Jesse Medina, Area 3 (Northern Monterey County and southwestern Watsonville)
Gabriel Jesse Medina maintained a narrow lead over Area 3 incumbent Oscar Soto. Area 3 includes parts of Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.
Medina, 32, is a filmmaker and educator. Medina told Santa Cruz Local he’s running to ensure “our community receives the attention and progressive changes it needs to thrive.”
Soto, 53, is a veteran and parent, according to his campaign statement. Soto did not respond to requests to be included in Santa Cruz Local’s Election Guide.
Read more about Medina and Soto in Santa Cruz Local’s Election Guide.
Jessica Zimmer contributed to this report.
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Kara Meyberg Guzman is the CEO and co-founder of Santa Cruz Local. Prior to Santa Cruz Local, she served as the Santa Cruz Sentinel’s managing editor. She has a biology degree from Stanford University and lives in Santa Cruz.
