By Carolyn Jones, CalMatters

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

Photo:  San Lorenzo High School teacher Judy Smith teaches her third period government class in San Lorenzo on Dec. 3, 2024, as they develop civic action infographics on topics ranging from gun violence to vaping. Smith’s students will submit their final projects to the KQED Youth Media Challenge which will publish the infographics online to share how students see themselves, their world and their future. Photo by Florence Middleton for CalMatters

March 11, 2026 (Sacramento) - The national political climate may be polarized and combative, but California is taking steps to ensure K-12 students learn to have respectful debates, get involved in their communities and understand their rights. 

By Alex Welling

February 26, 2026 (El Cajon) -- Last week, the Cajon Valley Union School District Board of Trustees voted to increase its monthly compensation from $630 to $2,000 — the maximum amount permitted under state law for a district of its size. That figure does not include their taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits.

By Alexander J. Schorr

February 25, 2026 (San Diego) — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity has increased in surrounding school areas, which includes the occupying of parking lots,  monitoring of bus routes, and arrests occurring blocks away from schools.

At least 3,800 children have been booked into ICE detention between January 2025 and early 2026. Families have expressed anxiety over “haunting and taunting” by federal agents who patrol or park near schools near school zones during drop-off and pick up times for their children.

As of February 9, 2026, ICE has arrested roughly 393,000 individuals since January 21, 2025. Locally, being the San Diego and Imperial counties, immigration arrests surged by 1,500% between late 2025 and early 2026.

By Miriam Raftery

February 17, 2026 (San Diego) – Teamsters Local 2010 is holding a four-day unfair labor practice strike at 22 California State University campuses starting today, including San Diego State University and Cal State San Marcos.  Campuses remain open, however an alert sent by SDSU cautions that traffic along I-8 near campus is backed up; students and motorists should allow for extra travel time and plan for alternate routes.

According to a flyer posted online by the labor union, “The 1,100 Skilled Trades Teamsters have worked hard and sacrificed to keep the CSU running through the pandemic and beyond, yet CSU has refused to honor step increases and their contractual obligations.” 

Photo and story by Karen Pearlman

Feb. 12, 2026 (El Cajon) -- East County's education and basketball communities are going to gather on Feb. 13 to pay tribute to a man whose name became synonymous with El Cajon Valley High School academics and athletics for more than 30 years.

Randy Robinson, the legendary former Braves coach, athletic director and beloved Grossmont Union High School District teacher who passed away from complications of pancreatic cancer on Dec. 19, 2024, will be honored during a special halftime ceremony during halftime of the boys basketball game between El Cajon Valley and West Hills.

The court inside the gym will formally be named after Robinson.

The game starts at 7 p.m. at the school's gym, and is the Braves' final regular-season home game. El Cajon Valley High is at 1035 E. Madison Ave., in El Cajon.

East County News Service

Source:  Cal Coast Cares Foundation

January 30, 2026 (San Diego) - The Cal Coast Cares Foundation has begun accepting applications for its next round of college scholarships for local students. The application period runs through March 20^th.

The nonprofit foundation will award scholarships of up to $2,000 to deserving college students, graduating high school seniors, and foster students who are in or have been in the foster care system in San Diego or Riverside counties, and have a proven commitment to academic excellence and leadership in the community. Recipients of first-year foster student scholarships will also be eligible for second-year scholarships by continuing to meet the requirements.

By Alexander J. Schorr

File photo, left: Trustee Jim Kelly called the measure “anarchy” and voted against it, along with Trustee Gary Woods

January 21, 2026 (El Cajon) —  The Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) Board of Trustees on January 19 voted 3-2 to pass a resolution to establish new guidelines for responding to federal enforcement on campuses. This follows new state mandates and significant community pressure after the board majority previously refused to hear a similar but more stringent measure proposed by Trustee Chris Fite in late 2025.

Source:  Grossmont Union High School District

January 9, 2026 (El Cajon) - The Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) is inviting East County students, families, educators, school staff, and community members to participate in shaping its Portrait of a Graduate (POG) – a long-term, community-created vision that defines the knowledge, skills, dispositions, and mindsets every student needs to thrive in the future–by participating in the POG community survey which is open until January 13 at 11:59 p.m. 

By Alexander J. Schorr

December 15, 2025 (El Cajon) — The Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) governing board voted unanimously to raise their own monthly salary of $534.04 to a proposed $2,000.00 each starting  in January 2026. While California law does allow for school boards to increase their trustees’ compensation annually by up to 5% based on the presenting monthly rate, as per the newest law AB 1390, the board trustees have gone above and beyond what is normally acceptable for a trustee's stipend.

“They meant to hurt us, but they’re hurting our kids.” –Jason Balisteri, Mount Miguel history teacher and former teacher-librarian

By Armando Rasing II

Photos, left:  protest signs at GUHSD board meeting when the majority voted to fire all teacher-librarians.

November 25, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) - The 2025-26 school year marks the first school year that the Grossmont Union High School District doesn’t have a teacher-librarian for any of its nine schools, following mass layoffs. 

By Alexander J. Schorr

Screenshot: Student Board Trustee Sage Larson and Board Trustee Chris Fite

November 14, 2025 (El Cajon) — The conservative board majority of the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) last night rejected a resolution proposed by Trustee Chris Fite that would have offered protection to vulnerable students and their families facing the looming presence of Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) on school campuses.  The motion died without a second.