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Superintendent tells board JTED ballot will go forward; district prepares opposition and asks for details
Summary
Superintendent Verdugo updated the board that a regional JTED proposal was placed on a nearby county ballot with estimated bond figures between about $153 million and $220 million; he said member districts are concerned that most funding would go to campus facilities and recommended developing an opposition statement once specifics are available.
Superintendent Verdugo informed the Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District board that a Joint Technical Education District (JTED) proposal has been placed on a nearby county ballot and that preliminary figures discussed ranged from roughly $153 million to $220 million.
Verdugo said the proposal appears to dedicate a high share of funding to certain JTED campuses — he cited a figure of 90% in the presentation — and that member districts are concerned they would not see proportional benefits. He said 14 superintendents in the consortium share concerns and that the district should prepare an opposition message and review specifics when they become available.
Board members agreed the issue requires more detail before taking formal action. The update was informational (not an action item); Verdugo said he would return with specifics and potential language for the board to consider if the district needs to mount an organized response or educational outreach to the community.
What was said: “I think we need to have that discussion of what that looks like, in opposition, because I don’t think it’s positive for our community,” Verdugo told the board. He added that some member districts recently passed bonds and that asking the same community for additional tax dollars for a program that “may not even benefit our community” is concerning.
Sources: Superintendent’s JTED update to the board on May 12, 2026.
