By Susan Taylor

Photo: Map of LMSV Trustee District 4

September 16, 2022 (La Mesa) -- A new trustee to the La Mesa-Spring Valley School Board is needed. At the Board’s September 6 meeting, Sarah Rhiley, District 4 Trustee, announced her immediate resignation.  This left the Board with two ways to fill the vacancy.  It could hold a special election, or it could appoint a new School Board member.

 In a special meeting held on September 12, the board voted unanimously that an appointment will be made to fill out the remainder of Rhiley’s term through December 2024.

The process for applying to be appointed as trustee is posted on the LMSV website at https://www.lmsvschools.org/board/#board-vacancy. The application is available online and must be submitted no later than October 14 at 4:45 p.m to be considered.

By Miriam Raftery

September 9, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – High winds, rain and potential for storm damage have led several East County school districts to curtail classes today, the San Diego County of Education has announced. Others are holding minimum days due to the inclement weather.

• Mountain Empire Unified School District has closed all schools today.
• Spencer Valley School District schools will close at 11:30 a.m., with all after-school activities cancelled this afternoon.
• Julian Union High School will follow a minimum day schedule.
• Julian Union Elementary Elementary School District also has a minimum day.
  

White House fires back at critics who had federal loans forgiven too

By Miriam Raftery

August 27. 2022 (Washington D.C.) – If you have a federal student loan and earn less than $125,000 a year, you are eligible to have $10,000 forgiven – or $20,000 if you were a recipient of a Pell Grant awarded to help low-income students attend college.

President Joe Biden announced the plan this week, also extended a pause on student loan repayments until December 31. In addition, Biden’s plan caps future repayments at 5% of your monthly income, down from the current 10% threshold.

An application for the partial student loan forgiveness will be posted later this year; borrowers can sign up at https://www.ed.gov/subscriptions to receive updates on the federal student loans.

By Sameea Kamal, CalMatters

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters

Photo:  Sonja Shaw is running for a seat on the Chino Valley school board in the Inland Empire, with help from the state Republican Party. “I’m running because I want to make sure that parents have a voice on the board, and to preserve the rights of a parent. During the shutdown, parents were pushed out, and we have had enough," she said on Aug. 14, 2022. Photo by Pablo Unzueta for CalMatters

August 18, 2022 (San Diego) - When California Republicans gathered in Anaheim this spring, attention focused on candidate speeches and endorsement battles as the party tries to win its first statewide race since 2006. 

Experienced administrator and educational technology leader will lead the Wolf Pack

Source:  Grossmont Union High School District

August 10, 2022 (Santee) - At its August 9, 2022 meeting, the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) Governing Board (Board) appointed Mrs. April Baker to serve as Principal of West Hills High School (West Hills). Mrs. Baker will succeed Mrs. Robin Ballarin who accepted a leadership position as a Director of GUHSD Human Resources. 

First live demonstration of bi-directional charging since launch of the federal cross-sector collaboration initiative to rapidly commercialize technology

Source: SDG&E

July 26, 2022 (San Diego) - Today, San Diego Gas & Electric announced that it has successfully deployed an innovative technology that enables eight electric school buses to put electricity back on the grid when needed such as on hot summer days. A collaborative effort between SDG&E, the Cajon Valley Union School District and locally based technology company Nuvve, this is the first vehicle-to-grid (V2G) project to become operational in Southern California, helping to advance clean air and climate goals while also bolstering grid reliability. 

East County News Service

June 16, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) -- Sheriff's Deputies have arrested an 18-year-old man in connection with a string of school burglaries in East County.

Over the past several months, numerous schools have been burglarized in the Alpine, Lakeside and Santee areas.  Several computers and tablets were stolen from the schools. 

By Jay Steiger

Photos: San Diego rally to stop gun violence on June 11, 2022

June 12, 2022 (San Diego) -- Enough! How many more will die before action is taken to reduce the ongoing tragedy of gun violence?  The horror at Robb Elementary was the 27th school shooting in 2022 alone. In the past decade, there have been over 900 incidents involving gunfire at schools.  Are we really to the point where, if it's not a mass shooting, we can compartmentalize the fact that gunfire and schools should never mix?

Source:  Grossmont Union High School District

May 31, 2022 (El Cajon) - Throughout the month of June, approximately 4,847 students earning a high school diploma from nine comprehensive high schools, two charter high schools, and three alternative high schools in the Grossmont Union High School District will be donning caps and gowns for commencement exercises. Listed below are the total graduate numbers and the names of the Valedictorians and Salutatorians at each school.

Test results show drinking water supply is present for E. coli and Total Coliform Bacteria

Source: County News Service

Photo: Drinking fountain; CC by NC-ND

May 23, 2022 (Warner Springs) -- The County of San Diego, Department of Environmental Health and Quality (DEHQ) has issued a Boil Water Order for Warner Unified School District water system at 30951 Highway 79, Warner Springs. Only the main campus is impacted by the boil water order, not the resource center and ball fields located across the highway from the campus.  The water system serves a daily population of 150 people, consisting of students and staff of Warner Unified School District (kindergarten through 12^th grade). 

Source:  Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District

May 4, 2022 (El Cajon) - Grossmont College will host an inaugural Refugee Job Fair on May 10 with more than two dozen employers from a wide range of industries. The event is designed to benefit a growing number of refugees settling in the region, and is open to all.

Source:  Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District

April 29, 2022 (El Cajon) - For the first time, Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges will explore building affordable housing for students. The new initiative is being funded by a pair of $150,000 state grants received by the colleges, enabling college leaders to take a serious look at ways of providing housing security to students in need.

Source:  Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District

April 20, 2022 (El Cajon) - The 26^th annual Grossmont College Literary Arts Festival returns April 25 for a week of virtual events featuring acclaimed authors and poets from around the nation who will read their work, teach their craft, and discuss sources of their inspiration.

East County News Service

April 12, 2022 (La Mesa) – Community Action, Service & Advocacy, a substance abuse prevention organization based in East County, is accepting applications for the 2022 ME2WE Scholarship fund. The agency will be awarding multiple scholarships in awards totaling $3,000 to local high school seniors and college students.