Central Coast K‑16 collaborative reports nearly $9.8M in grants, highlights local $2M investment

John Leopold briefed trustees on the Central Coast K‑16 Regional Collaborative’s multi‑county work to align K–12, community college and university pathways with labor‑market demand. Leopold said the collaborative focused on two pathways — engineering/computer science and health care — and “made $9,800,000 worth of grants” to support career pathways, intersegmental partnerships and dual‑enrollment opportunities across the six‑county region.

Leopold described a local investment of nearly $2,000,000 for pathway creation and support in Santa Cruz County and previewed a $1,000,000 initiative to help high‑school teachers earn master’s degrees to expand dual‑enrollment offerings. He emphasized an equity focus for funding and a noncompetitive allocation formula intended to reduce competition between districts and encourage collaboration across partners including Cabrillo College and UCSC as backbone organizations. Trustees asked about data collection and sustainability; Leopold said the collaborative has funds through 2027 and is piloting student‑level data sharing agreements to measure outcomes.

The presentation highlighted work with employers and apprenticeships (including a recent award for a Joby Aviation apprenticeship through Hartnell College) and described an outreach plan to increase parent and community awareness about pathways. Leopold said the collaborative’s governance includes K‑12, COE representatives, community college districts and student voices to ensure the pathways reflect community needs.