Violence at Watsonville High School is one reason residents are raising the alarm about proposed cuts to school counselors. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local file)

“We have just recently experienced a student bringing a gun to school at Watsonville High. We experienced an attempted murder at Watsonville High,” Diniz said. 

On Oct. 16, a 17-year-old student brought a loaded firearm to Watsonville High, police said. On Oct. 23, a stabbing at Watsonville High school sent two students and a teacher to the hospital and four students to juvenile hall. Police have not yet announced any conclusions from their investigation.

A mental health clinician in the district, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said the proposal was deeply troubling especially for “a district grappling with suicide, violence, economic hardship, food insecurity and the chilling effects of immigration enforcement.” 

The proposal would swap onsite clinicians for contractors, often with less training, they said, and “the result is fragmented care, transient relationships and limited support that jeopardize school attendance, learning, and emotional health.”

Diniz questioned district leaders’ priorities as he pointed to recent salary increases for the superintendent, the chief business officer and a proposal for a new chief technology officer position. 

Last month the board approved a new contract through 2029 for the superintendent that included a 2% annual raise, a 2.8% cost of living adjustment and an additional 6.8% raise. Superintendent Heather Contreras now receives $275,921 in annual compensation, plus retirement and health care benefits. 

“Why in the world are we creating administrative positions, giving administrators raises, at the same time, ‘Oh, we need to cut $16 million and the only way to do it is to lay off teachers and classified staff’?” Diniz asked.

The cuts on the table would reduce spending by about $15 million.

Contreras said by email that the decisions surrounding the cuts and the budgetary issues facing the district will not be easy, and that the reductions have been on the table for several years. 

“We are committed to being clear and thoughtful as we address the structural deficit,” said Contreras. 

Contreras did not address questions about her raise or whether there was a plan to address students’ mental health needs should every school counselor be let go.

“Our goal is to ensure the PVUSD Board of Education has the opportunity to make an informed decision that will be in the best interest of our students and the fiscal stability of the district,” she said.

In February, trustees voted down a proposal to eliminate about 100 positions, which Contreras said at the time would only delay when the cuts would need to happen.

Ashley Flowers, president of CSEA Pajaro Valley Chapter 132, the union that represents counselors and other certificated staff facing lay offs, said if approved, the proposal would harm students. 

The positions that would be eliminated are the staff “standing beside our most vulnerable students, ensuring they are safe, seen, and supported,” Flowers wrote in a text message, adding that counselors “nurture minds and hearts when students face crisis, trauma, and academic struggle.”

Diniz, the teachers union president, said proposals and discussion of cuts should not happen until the budget gets its first revision in December.

“We should wait until we get that budget and actually understand it, and then work together to try to find alternatives to layoffs, such as retirement incentives, furloughs of district office administrators or cuts of district office administrators,” he said.

The school board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at 275 Main St., fourth floor, Watsonville. 

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