Rep. Jimmy Panetta announced Friday that he has secured more than $5.53 million in federal community project funding for six initiatives across Santa Cruz County ranging from affordable housing to childcare and infrastructure projects.
The money will bolster the school's Nourishment and Essential Support Team Resource Center which offers social, emotional, academic and career development services along with access to food, housing, transportation, technology, health and wellness resources.
"If it's this divisive, it's not worth going forward unless we have some good consensus, I think was where the board landed," said Cabrillo Superintendent/President Matt Wetstein, paraphrasing the board's thinking. "We should not be dividing the community over the college; the college should be uniting the community and let's turn to things that we think can get people behind and united on."
At its meeting Monday night, the Cabrillo College Board of Trustees will consider creating a new ad hoc committee tasked with exploring initiatives and programs in support of Indigenous students and Native American studies at the school.
"I am proud that Cabrillo College is an integral part of the Regional K-16 Education Collaborative grant,” said Matt Wetstein, Cabrillo's president/superintendent. "The state’s investment in the collaborative will result in robust, K-16 pathways that lead students to high-skill, high-wage, and high-demand regional employment that boosts the economic viability of our region."