Dear community member,
Yesterday the Santa Cruz County Board of Education marked a milestone moment. Oscar Alvarez-Delgado, a senior at Pajaro Valley High School, was sworn in as the first student trustee in the history of the Board.
This is a moment I have been looking forward to for a long time, as the Board and I continue to work toward our shared vision of elevating student voice at all levels of local education, including by providing a Student Trustee Academy over the past two summers. It follows the example set by a growing number of Santa Cruz County school districts — including all four high school districts — that have created student trustee positions in recent years.
The position of student trustee is intended to provide a platform for student perspective and advocacy. Student trustees are recognized as part of the Board and may present motions, make comments, ask questions of presenters, and cast preferential votes. The Santa Cruz County Board of Education adopted a policy creating the role of student trustee last year, and selected Oscar out of five outstanding candidates at its meeting in September.
There was a lot to celebrate yesterday, as the Board also swore in a new Area 4 Trustee, Edward Estrada, an advocate for LGBTQIA+ youth and underserved communities who is representing the areas of Live Oak, Capitola, and Soquel.
Congratulations to Oscar and Edward, as well as their family members who attended in support! To learn more about both new trustees, read the article linked below.
Yours in education and equity,
Dr. Faris Sabbah
County Superintendent of Schools