Los Angeles Mission College in Los Angeles on Aug. 10, 2023. Photo by Lauren Justice for CalMatters
For over a year, the California Community College and the California State University systems have clashed over their respective roles.
The focus of the dispute: Who should be granting bachelor’s degrees?
The Cal State Chancellor’s Office says many community colleges are stepping outside their bounds by proposing bachelor’s programs that duplicate what Cal State campuses already offer. Community colleges disagree.
The issue goes to the core missions of these higher education systems and the boundaries that the state set for them back in 1960.
That’s when California’s Master Plan for Higher Education laid out the roles for each system. For the state’s community colleges, the plan says they were designed to award two-year associate degrees and provide career training, while the Cal State system would offer four-year bachelor’s and master’s degrees and the University of California system would prioritize research and doctoral programs.
Now a new law allows the community college system to approve up to 30 new bachelor’s degree programs each year at any one of the state’s 116 community colleges.
The law, which went into effect last year, has a caveat: Community colleges can only offer bachelor’s degrees in unique fields that no other public four-year campus currently offers. It’s this caveat that is at the root of recent conflicts.
“I understand that CSUs (Cal State University campuses) and UCs may be feeling like community colleges are getting a larger allocation or are stepping into their lane,” said Laura Cantú, vice president of academic affairs for Los Angeles Mission College. “But there’s a reason why California decided that we should allow community colleges to offer some of the baccalaureates (bachelor’s degrees). It’s a way for us to really provide an onramp, a mechanism, for social mobility.”
“I understand that CSUs and UCs may be feeling like community colleges are getting a larger allocation or are stepping into their lane.” — Laura Cantú, vice president of academic affairs for Los Angeles Mission College
The Cal State Academic Senate has said it’s worried about losing money in the event that community colleges offer more bachelor’s degrees.
In an email to CalMatters, Cal State spokesperson Amy Bentley-Smith said there are opportunities for partnership when duplication concerns arise. Some strategies are already in place, like guaranteed admission to Cal State campuses for community college students and joint degree programs where students attend a community college and a Cal State at the same time, often virtually.
Meanwhile, the Cal State University Chancellor’s Office has thrown its support behind a proposed law authored by Sacramento Democrat Kevin McCarty. While the Cal State system offers a few Ph.D. programs, the bill would grant it the right to approve many more, as long as the programs “do not duplicate University of California doctoral degrees.”
As the bill winds through the statehouse, the UC system has asked for amendments to prevent Cal State campuses from duplicating what it already offers.
Thousands of dollars saved
In a state with over 2.5 million students across the public college and university systems, only a few thousand community college students a year, at most, could benefit from the new bachelor’s degree program.
Still, the few community college students who have enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program on campus say that they are cheaper and more convenient than the nearest Cal State or UC option. A recent report from UCLA shows that’s especially the case for low-income students and students of color.
The Cal State system uses similar arguments to say that it should be allowed to award more doctorate degrees.
Jessa Garcia received a bachelor’s degree in art and multimedia design in 2011, but after losing her job getting furloughed during the COVID-19 pandemic, she said she wanted a more “stable” career and started looking into biology programs near her home in Oceanside, in north San Diego County.
She said she spoke to an admissions representative at Cal State San Marcos, the nearest public four-year university, who told her she was not eligible because she already had a degree. A spokesperson for Cal State San Marcos said the system will begin accepting students like Garcia in fall 2024 when regulations change.
MiraCosta College’s biomanufacturing program was the perfect solution, she said. “MiraCosta is close to me, like less than 10 minutes away,” she said. ”It’s a science-related degree, and it was accessible to someone who already holds a degree.”
By the time she graduates in May, the bachelor’s degree will cost her a total of around $4,000 in tuition, in part because she was able to carry over credits from her earlier degree. Garcia said she already has her eyes set on a few internships where the starting wage is around $25 an hour.
The average bachelor’s degree at a community college costs $10,560, which is “less than half the tuition at even the most affordable public universities,” the Community College Chancellor’s Office states on its site. Community college leaders across the state say these local, low-cost bachelor’s degree programs are the only option for some students and that students who live near a Cal State campus may not get accepted there.
“We’re an institution that has a high rate of students on federal financial aid,” said Don Miller, vice president of academic affairs at Rio Hondo College, which is located in southeastern Los Angeles County. “They live in the area. They tend to be more focused on the region.”
LA Mission, Rio Hondo stall
This year, Rio Hondo College submitted an application to develop a bachelor’s degree program in popular electronic music, but it is fighting objections about duplication from San Francisco State, San Jose State, San Diego State, Cal State Long Beach and Cal State San Bernardino.
“The majority of our students are not the kind of students who are going to go to SF to get a degree,” he said.
Los Angeles Mission College in Los Angeles on Aug. 10, 2023. Photo by Lauren Justice for CalMatters
At the same time, Los Angeles Mission College submitted an application to offer a bachelor’s degree in biomanufacturing. Part of the logic for the application, said Cantú, was that MiraCosta College, Solano Community College and Moorpark College already had approval from the Cal State system to offer bachelor’s degrees in biomanufacturing as part of earlier application processes.
Further, Nathan Evans, a deputy vice chancellor for the Cal State system, had told one of Cantú’s colleagues in an email that there would be a “minimal amount of additional information” required when “similar proposals” had already been approved.
She submitted the application — more than 100 pages in total — in January. On May 31, she got an email notifying her that the Cal State Chancellor’s Office had flagged the application because some campuses said it duplicated their programs.
While she’s excited about the potential, she said the experience has left her feeling “anxious” and “just a little disappointed,” especially for the potential students. “We talk about wanting to get our community members ready for these high-wage positions. We cannot train the pipeline fast enough.”
Bentley-Smith said it would be “premature” to comment on Cantú’s proposal.
Tensions flare
There must be two rounds of applications every year, according to the law, but last year, the Community College Chancellor’s Office only ran one round of applications, which took more than 15 months.
One of last year’s proposals, a bachelor’s degree in applied fire management from rural Feather River College, remains a sore point for Cal State. The Community College Chancellor’s Office approved the program and is moving ahead, even though Cal State leaders remain opposed.
Senate Education Committee Chairperson Josh Newman, a Brea Democrat, and Assembly Higher Education Chairperson Mike Fong, a Monterey Park Democrat, were concerned that this year’s applications would face the same obstacles as last year. In March, they issued a strongly worded letter to the Community College Chancellor’s Office, asking it to “pause” new bachelor’s degree applications until the two higher education systems could come to an agreement over duplication concerns.
The Community College Chancellor’s Office never took the recommended “pause” and continued to accept applications from its campuses, only to hit the same challenges as before. Half of this year’s 14 applications have been approved, but the remaining seven are delayed over disagreements about duplication.
Last year, the Cal State system rejected over 13,000 community college students who applied for transfer.
The state law requires that the Cal State system provide “supporting evidence” to explain any objection to a community college’s application and gives the two systems 30 days to come to a resolution over any duplication concerns.
But months have passed since the Cal State Chancellor’s Office expressed concern over Cantú’s application and she still doesn’t have any evidence to explain why. In June, the Community College Chancellor’s Office sent Cantú a note, saying that the Cal State system had failed to provide supporting evidence after “repeated requests.”
Still, both sides say that they are handling the application process correctly.
The Cal State Chancellor’s Office says it is abiding by the spirit of the pause that state legislators asked for this spring. The Community College Chancellor’s Office says it is following the state law, which sets the strict timeline of two rounds of applications each year.
Can they ‘move the process forward’?
While there was no pause in applications, the two systems did agree to form a committee that would create new policies in the event of future disagreements. The committee has met three times but has yet to issue any new policy that would resolve future clashes around duplication. In a statement to CalMatters, Bentley-Smith said the committee would meet again in the fall.
“There is no dispute between the systems,” she said, pointing to the ongoing work of the committee.
On July 17, the Community College Chancellor’s Office hired the Research and Planning Group for the California Community Colleges, an independent consulting firm, to evaluate the duplication concerns. Feist said the $17,500 contract is an effort to “move the process forward.” However, Bentley-Smith told CalMatters that the Cal State University system was “not aware” that any independent evaluation firm had been hired.
Darla Cooper, executive director of the Research and Planning Group, said she has spoken to neither the Cal State University Chancellor’s Office nor any of the Cal State campuses that have alleged duplication.
She said her team’s analysis will use “the info that’s available and not opinions.”
On July 17, the Community College Chancellor’s Office hired the Research and Planning Group for the California Community Colleges, an independent consulting firm, to evaluate the duplication concerns. Feist said the contract was “internal” to the Community College Chancellor’s Office.
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For the record: This story was updated to correct Jessa Garcia’s job status and the scope of the work done by the Research and Planning Group for the California Community Colleges. It was also updated to correct the number of community college students the Cal State system rejected for transfer.
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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
On August 10, 2023, at about 5:40 A.M., Officers with the Eureka Police Department
responded to a residence in the 3100 block of Ingley Street, in response to a 911 call of
a physical altercation between an adult female, an adult male, and involving a firearm.
Upon arrival, officers located the involved female and two additional females in front of
the residence. Officers were directed into the residence by the females to check the
welfare of the male. Officers located a male down inside the residence and determined
he had sustained what appeared to be a gunshot wound. The male was declared
deceased at the scene. The exact details of the incident remain under investigation by
the Eureka Police Department Criminal Investigation Unit. The male has been identified,
however, his identity will not be released at this time, pending notification of next of kin.
This is a complex and active investigation and no arrests have been made. Anyone with
information regarding this incident is asked to contact Detective Bailey at
dbailey2@eurekaca.gov or (707) 441-4215.
Guy Fieri and Stacy Chatfield, culinary arts teacher at FHS, during the first responders luncheon in 2022 | Photo from the Fortuna High culinary arts Instagram
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Guy Fieri — the Ferndale-grown, spikey-haired Food Network star and restaurateur — is coming Homeboldt once again, this time to impart some of his foodie wisdom to the culinary students of Fortuna High School, helping the chefs-in-training host a luncheon on Aug. 25, to raise funds for the school’s culinary arts program and boys basketball program.
Norm Sotomayor, the boys basketball coach at Fortuna High, told the Outpost that Fieri brought him the idea a little while ago, while the two were on a hike together. Sotomayor grew up in Fortuna, around the same time Fieri was growing up in Ferndale, and the two have known each other since fifth grade.
“[Guy] said, ‘Hey, last year we did the foundation lunch at the fair, but we want to do something different this year,” Sotomayor said in a phone interview with the Outpost on Wednesday. ‘Would your culinary class be willing to do a luncheon and raise some money for them?’ And I said, ‘Of course they would.’”
Since Sotomayor is the basketball coach, he also wanted to help his students raise some money, so he asked if it could also be a benefit for the boys basketball team. Fieri was down, Sotomayor said, so they decided to combine fundraising efforts for both programs. Sotomayor added that Fieri also chose to help out Fortuna High because his own alma mater, Ferndale High School, doesn’t have a culinary program.
All of the money raised from the luncheon tickets will go toward the culinary arts program, specifically to help fund the program’s annual trip. This year teacher Stacy Chatfield will take the students to New York City for a week of dining at different restaurants, learning from professional chefs and doing some sight-seeing. For their part, the boys basketball players are selling raffle tickets for the event. The raffle winner will receive eight tickets for the “chef’s table” at the luncheon and some free “Guy swag,” Sotomayor said, including cookbooks and things like that. The chef’s table guests will also be served some special cuisine that will not be available to the other tables.
For the regular ticket holders, the luncheon will include BBQ pulled pork, cajun chicken pasta, salad and more, prepared by Fieri and his team, along with the Fortuna High culinary students. Sotomayer said that all the culinary classes (there are three levels) will be helping out in some way, with most of the students prepping the food the day before the event. The advanced culinary students will be cooking and serving the food alongside Guy and his crew on the day of the luncheon.
Of course, this is far from the first time the “mayor of Flavortown” has served up grub for a good cause. The Guy Fieri Foundation has donated food to many evacuees of devastating California wildfires, donated grant funds to help struggling restaurant workers during COVID and has served many meals to first responders. Last year, a group of Fortuna High culinary students helped Fieri and his team host a luncheon at the Humboldt County Fairgrounds to benefit and honor Humboldt’s veterans and first responders. Here is a post from Fortuna High’s culinary arts program about last year’s event:
Fieri also usually hosts the annual Chili Cook-Off during the Humboldt County Fair, and will be doing so again this year during his late August visit.
Sotomayer said that the students who helped at the first responders luncheon were really excited for the experience and said that Fieri spent a lot of time with the students, talking about their goals and aspirations.
“They really enjoyed that,” Sotomayor said. “Some of those students are returning this year and I’m sure they’re excited to be able to work with [Guy] and have that experience.”
The Guy Fieri Foundation Luncheon will take place on Friday, Aug. 25 at 1 p.m. at Fortuna High School. Sotomayor said that there will only be 100 tickets available, so you will want to buy them ahead of time. Tickets for the event and raffle tickets can be purchased at the Fortuna High office, or by calling Coach Sotomayor at 707-845-4027.
Conceptual rendering of the Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Marine Terminal | Photo: Harbor District
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The Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District Board of Commissioners will meet at the Wharfinger Building tonight to discuss two big items offshore wind-related items.
Commissioners will first consider a request to authorize staff to submit a grant application for a “multi-million dollar” Federal Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation that would cover some of the constructions costs associated with the Humboldt Offshore Wind Terminal Project slated for the Samoa Peninsula. Commissioners will then consider a related request to approve a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) that will outline the terms and conditions of future building contracts with construction and trade unions as development efforts move forward.
The proposed agreement has sparked debate between unions and some local construction companies that run non-union shops. Union members largely support the PLA, whereas the companies argue that it does not provide fair and equal opportunity for all construction and trade workers.
What is a PLA, you ask? A PLA is a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement made between one or more construction unions and one or more contractors to establish the terms and conditions of a specific project, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. PLAs are used to organize complex construction projects and include provisions to that bind all contractors and subcontractors to the agreement, including no-strike, no-lock-out clauses to eliminate delays associated with labor unrest. A PLA is required for any federally funded construction project valued at more than $35 million, per an Executive Order issued by President Joe Biden in February 2022.
The Harbor District has spent the last year working with members of the Humboldt-Del Norte County Building and Construction Trades Council, the State Building and Construction Trade Council of the State of California, and other local labor representatives to develop a PLA for the terminal project. Jeff Hunerlach, district representative for Operating Engineer’s Local #3, is satisfied with what they’ve come up with.
“The labor unions have been involved in conversations surrounding offshore wind and port development really since 2016,” Hunerlach told the Outpost during a recent phone interview. “This has been a long, thought-out and drawn-out negotiation process and I think it’s a very good agreement for Humboldt and Del Norte communities. I think it’s a huge opportunity to grow our local workforce.”
He added that many of the local workers that he represents are only able to find high-paying, consistent work out of the area.
“I have at least 100 journeyman operators that have been working down in the valley or in the Bay Area, but their families are up here,” he said. “I’m married to one of them, and she’s been out of the area for over four years. This is the first year that she got lucky and has been able to work here for the last three months. It’s hard on a marriage and there are many, many laborers – all the crafts – that are in the same situation because there’s no work here.”
The Harbor District has received dozens of letters of support for the PLA from construction and trade union members, representatives of Cal Poly Humboldt and regional elected officials, including state Senator Mike McGuire and Assemblymember Jim Wood.
Some non-union contractors, on the other hand, fear the proposed agreement would put many prospective local workers at a disadvantage.
The Humboldt Builders Exchange, a non-profit construction trade association representing over 300 licensed general contractors and sub-contractors, asserts that the proposed PLA contains provisions that would exclude the vast majority – an estimated 90 percent – of local contractors.
“The provisions in the PLA as it stands contain a ‘core’ employment provision that requires a 1:1 hiring for the [Humboldt Offshore Wind Terminal] Project,” Lynette Mullen, an independent contractor hired to advocate on behalf of the Humboldt Builders Exchange, told the Outpost. “If I have 15 employees or less, I can put a maximum of seven employees out on that project. But, of course, that’s matched with union members that I’ve been required to hire. If I have over 15 employees, the maximum number of my non-union employees that I can put on there is five.”
Mullen also took issue with the fact that the PLA requires all non-union workers to register with and be dispatched through the union hall, adding that only non-union employees are subject to unnecessary expenses that are already covered by their employer.
“This PLA requires every single non-union worker to register through the union and pay union fringe benefits,” she continued. “These employees are required to pay this benefit – that they don’t need and unless they work for the union – that they will never benefit from.”
If the crux of the issue is unfair treatment toward non-union members, what’s stopping local contractors from unionizing? “They don’t want to,” Mullen said.
“That’s the whole point,” she said. “Let’s say my dad started a company 50 years ago. I’ve got all my systems in place, I keep my guys busy, I give them great benefits and I pay them well. Why in the world would I want to unionize? Why should I be forced to completely change the structure of my company in order to work on a project? People should be given the choice and nobody’s been given the choice here.”
The Humboldt Builders Exchange has asked the Board of Commissioners to table the vote for at least 30 days to provide additional time to “develop a version [of the agreement] that is fair for all construction and trade workers in Humboldt County.” The Harbor District denied the request.
Larry Oetker, executive director of the Harbor District, noted that the aforementioned grant funding application requires a PLA for submittal. Without it, the application could be denied.
“You meet a certain threshold when you submit a grant application,” he said. “If we submit the grant and we have a PLA, that’s one more box that we can check to demonstrate that we meeting the criteria for the grant. I’m not saying that we couldn’t have the [PLA] later, but anytime you’re writing a grant, you want to check as many of the boxes at the time that you submit the grant as you can because it makes you more competitive.”
The Board of Commissioners will consider the grant application request and the proposed PLA during tonight’s discussion. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. at the Wharfinger Building at 1 Marina Way in Eureka. You can find the agenda packet at this link.
As your friends and neighbors, we urge you not to sign the “City of Eureka Housing for All and Downtown Vitality Initiative.” Despite its name, the initiative would stop the construction of affordable housing and would put the city in legal jeopardy, risking millions of dollars of state grant funding. Eureka deserves better.
Eureka faces a housing affordability crisis. Under state law, Eureka is required to plan for housing construction through its “Housing Element,” a component of its larger General Plan. The Housing Element outlines the strategies the city will undertake to facilitate new housing construction and is approved by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). The City of Eureka developed in partnership with HCD a program to release publicly-owned lands for housing. Through working with non-profit housing developers, including the Wiyot Tribe, Eureka is on track to build 199 new apartments — if the proposed initiative doesn’t stop the city first.
Invalidate Housing Element: The initiative would amend Eureka’s General Plan to create two new “overlay” zones. The first overlay zone would stop the development of apartments on downtown parking lots by prohibiting the loss of any parking through redevelopment of the sites, functionally making housing construction impossible on these sites. The second overlay zone would rezone the former site of Jacobs Middle School and would allow dense multifamily development on this site. This “upzone” is misleading as well, as Eureka does not control the former Jacobs campus, Eureka City Schools has declined an offer by the City to purchase the site, and Eureka City Schools is in negotiations with the California Highway Patrol to purchase and develop the site.
Loss of Affordable Housing: The proposed initiative would stop the development of five lots already approved for affordable housing development. In total, the initiative would threaten the construction of at least 199 total units. Additionally, the initiative would prohibit the development of the Eureka Regional Transit and Housing Center (EaRTH Center), a mass transit hub paired with apartments for healthcare workers and other affordable housing.
Legal Chaos: The initiative would throw the city into legal chaos by invalidating its Housing Element. Because the Housing Element is a core component of the Eureka’s General Plan, that central governing document might also be voided. In turn, Eureka could lose its power to regulate local land use decisions until a costly and thorough amendment process can be completed.
Loss of Grant Funding: By invalidating the Housing Element, Eureka would lose out on substantial grant funding that it regularly relies upon for affordable housing, city planning, and mass transit.
If you are approached by a signature gatherer, politely decline to sign the anti-housing initiative.
If you have signed the initiative by accident, please complete this form and return it to Humboldt County Elections to remove your name from the petition. If you would like to join your name to the growing list of friends and neighbors concerned about this initiative, please complete this form.
Susan Seaman
Natalie Arroyo
Deborah Dukes
Aubrey Richeson
Jenna Catsos
Jasmin Segura
Genevieve Serna
Gary Falxa
Brian Heaton
Cathy Chandler-Klein
Randy Terra
Maggie Kraft
Althea Christensen
G. Mario Fernandez
Leslie Castellano
Desiree Davenport
Tory Starr
Evan Morden
Beth Herrmann
Emily Sinkhorn
Stevie Luther
Caroline Griffith
Alexander Farrell
Tom Arnall
Solomon Everta
Linda Atkins
Tom Wheeler
Kathy Srabian
Paul Hilton
Patti Rose
David Cobb
Maxwell Despard
Julie Ryan
Marla Joy
Ruthi Engelke
Fhyre Phoenix
Kathleen Kelcey
Meredith Maier
Claire Perricelli
Patricia Thomas
Robin Praszker
Joseph Carter
Derek Howard
Erin Kelly
Jenn Taylor
Carolan Raleigh-Halsing
Charis Arlett
Jason Lopiccolo
Kayla DeCarli
Tess Yinger
Bob Service
Pam Service
Hannah Atwood
Kelly Johnson
Aimee Hennessy
Amber Shows
Kim Bergel
Leila Roberts
Esther Trosow
Mike Cipra
Erin Degenstein
Alicia Hamann
Mary Hurley
Mary Keehn
Peter LaVallee
Kathleen Moxon
Mary Kate Durkee
Rio McFarland
Ron Kuhnel
James Kloor
Joel Ziegler
Julie Fulkerson
Lissie Rydz
Jonny Maiullo
Kathy Johanson
Aisha Cervantes-Cissna
Peggy Dickinson
Miranda de Silva
Nancy LaVallee
Randy Carrico
Nancy M. Arroyo
Pat Kanzler
Libby Maynard
Tina Garsen
Colin Fiske
William Childs
Mary Ruffcorn-Barragan
Sabrina Grandia
Geoffrey Robinson
Kimberley White
Helene Rouvier
Jerry Koval
Luis Chabolla
Jan Rowen
George Clark
Kyoko Clark
Jody Himango
Meredyth Phillips
Todd Rowe
Bonnie Mesinger
Jeremiah Webb
Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
It is with heavy hearts that the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office announces the passing of Sergeant Jim Mowrey on August 9, 2023, following a valiant and determined battle against cancer over the course of four months. Jim’s unwavering commitment to his duties and the community he served has left an indelible mark on the department and our hearts.
Mowrey..
Sergeant Mowrey started his career with the Sheriff’s Office on January 2, 2007, and for 16 years, he demonstrated an unparalleled dedication to public service. Throughout his distinguished career, Jim seamlessly challenged himself to increase his level of responsibilities, including patrol duty, court bailiff, a member of the Marijuana Enforcement Team, a special agent of the Drug Task Force, a Field Training Officer, and a respected Corporal.
Jim’s extraordinary talents, determination, and physical abilities drove him to become a member of the Sheriff’s SWAT team. There, he took on the prestigious roles of Team Leader and Team Commander, leaving a lasting impact through his leadership and commitment. In recognition of his exceptional dedication and exemMowrey’splary leadership, Jim earned a promotion to the rank of Patrol Sergeant on October 21, 2018.
In the past year, Jim took on the pivotal role of overseeing and guiding the operations of the Humboldt County Drug Task Force. He consistently set the bar high for himself and those he mentored, distinguishing himself as an exceptional law enforcement professional who consistently held himself to the highest standards.
A testament to his relentless pursuit of excellence, Jim recently graduated from the esteemed Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute, underscoring his commitment to continual growth and improvement in his field.
Growing up in our very own community, Jim’s genuine care for Humboldt County and its residents was highly visible. His selflessness and consistently placing the well-being of others before his own defined his character. Over the span of his 16-year service, Jim garnered numerous commendations and expressions of gratitude, each one a testament to his impactful contribution to our community.
Sergeant Jim Mowrey, 44 years old, was a devoted husband and a loving father of four, the youngest being just six years old. A cherished friend to many, his absence will be deeply felt by all who had the privilege of knowing him. The legacy he leaves behind is one of selflessness, dedication, and unwavering commitment to his family and our community.
The entire Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Sergeant Jim Mowrey during this difficult time. His memory will forever be engrained in our department’s history and the hearts of those he touched.
School food service workers train at the Culinary Institute of America as part of Farm to School, an initiative to provide healthier lunches in California schools, in Napa on Aug 3, 2023. Photo by Semantha Norris, CalMatters
The hottest new restaurant in California might be your local elementary school.
Thanks to a surge of nearly $15 billion in state and federal funding, school districts are ditching the old standbys — frozen pizza and chicken nuggets — in favor of organic salads, free-range grilled chicken, vegan chana masala, chilaquiles and other treats. Districts are building new kitchens, hiring executive chefs, contracting directly with local organic farmers, and training their staffs to cook the finest cuisine. One district in San Luis Obispo County even bought a stone mill to grind its own wheat for bread and pasta.
The move to healthier, fresher school meals comes on the heels of California’s first-in-the-nation program providing free breakfast, lunch and snacks to nearly 6 million students in public schools, regardless of whether they qualify under federal income guidelines. The expansion of the meal program, combined with investments in school kitchens and training, have made public schools the largest restaurant system in the state, serving nearly 1 billion meals a year — more than McDonald’s, Starbucks and Subway combined.
“We now have the money and the green light to go all out. There’s no more excuses,” said Juan Cordon, food services director at Vacaville Unified, where students now enjoy offerings such as regeneratively raised pork sandwiches, Strauss Family Creamery organic yogurt and chipotle chilaquiles. “Everything is turbo charged. It’s like, let’s do it fast, let’s do it now, let’s do it right.”
A plethora of research shows the benefits of healthy school meals. A 2020 study in the journal Nutrients looked at 502 school meal programs and found that students who ate meals at school had better attendance, higher academic achievement and improved health overall.
The school meal expansion sprung from a handful of government investments during the pandemic, when the economy upended and schools closed, leaving thousands of low-income students and their families without steady access to food. The federal government expanded access to school meals for the first 27 months of the pandemic, and when that program expired, California stepped in with permanent funding for all students to receive free meals at school.
The state also created a program called Kitchen Infrastructure and Training Funds, which has given $750 million to schools to upgrade their kitchens, hire and train staff and make other improvements so they could serve high-quality meals made from scratch for all students. About 90% of districts have received a grant. Another state program, called Farm to School, has doled out nearly $100 million for schools to partner with local farms, plant school gardens and other projects to bolster locally sourced food in school lunchrooms.
“We now have the money and the green light to go all out. There’s no more excuses.” — Juan Cordon, food services director at Vacaville Unified
The switch to fresh, made-from-scratch meals has been popular with students.
Alysa Oliver, a sophomore at Aptos High in Pajaro Unified, said that school lunches used to be so bad she’d sometimes just eat an apple, suffering through the afternoon on an empty stomach.
“The food used to come in little plastic packages that you’d warm up, and it had this condensed, sweaty feeling,” Oliver said. “Now we have this high-quality food that’s better for you, and it tastes better.”
Enjoying a healthy meal enables her to pay closer attention in class, she said, and ultimately enjoy school more. Her favorite choices are Caesar salad, chicken wraps, berries and bananas.
Pajaro Valley Unified, in Santa Cruz County, is among the districts that’s on the forefront of the revolution in school meals. In addition to offering a daily selection of healthy entrees, the district has a partnership Esperanza Community Farms and Pajaro Valley High School in which students harvest produce themselves, bring it back to school and prepare it for their classmates. Local farmers visit classrooms to talk about agriculture, and students learn about career pathways in the farming industry. The program has been so popular that the district is expanding to another high school this year.
The challenges of ‘farm to school’
Although more schools statewide are embracing the farm-to-school model, there have been hiccups. Staffing is a major one. School food service workers typically earn less than $20 an hour, less than a fast food worker, which means districts often struggle to fill vacancies. A recent check of EdJoin, the state’s largest education job board, showed 851 openings for food service workers in California.
Another hassle for schools is paperwork. Even though the meals are free and available to all students, families still need to apply because schools need to track how many students qualify under the federal free-and-reduced-price lunch program. The federal government uses the numbers to reimburse schools for those children’s meals, and the state uses the numbers to determine funding formulas based on low-income student enrollment.
“The school lunch program is as complicated as the U.S. tax code. It is wild,” said Jennifer McNeil, a co-founder of LunchAssist, a firm that helps school districts navigate the bureaucracy. “There are a lot of requirements and mandates that affect what goes on that lunch tray.”
School food service workers train at the Culinary Institute of America as part of Farm to School, an initiative to provide healthier lunches in California schools, in Napa on Aug 3, 2023. Photo by Semantha Norris, CalMatters
Another challenge is logistics. School kitchens typically don’t have the staff, time or room to clean and chop 500 butternut squashes, for example, so they need to send produce to a processing plant, which may be 50 miles away. Transporting the produce long distances can be expensive and inefficient, especially if it needs to be distributed to a dozen different school sites.
“I might need 30 cases of strawberries from Farmer X, and 20 cases of cucumbers from Farmer Y, and those farmers might have no way of getting their goods to different schools. It’s not easy,” said Jean Aitken, food services director at Pajaro Valley Unified. “We’re working on it, but right now we’re not set up to handle all the details.”
A need for more food hubs
Yousef Buzayan, farm-to-market senior manager at the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, an advocacy group based in Davis, said California needs more middlemen — known as food hubs — to purchase, process and distribute produce to schools. Currently, each district is forging its own arrangements, which is not practical in many parts of the state.
Food hubs could also arrange field trips, visits from farmers and other aspects of agricultural education, as well as help farmers get fair prices and a predictable, steady market for their produce. A few, such as the Yolo Food Hub, are already offering these services, but the state could use more, he said.
“Potentially, this could have a huge impact not just on students, but on farms in California generally, especially small farms,” Buzayan said. “But right now we need to think of a new business model focused just on schools.”
Getting students to love quinoa
Another thing LunchAssist helps with is the age-old challenge faced by parents everywhere: How do you get a 7-year-old to try new foods? All the innovative new programs will be for naught if kids toss their lunches in the trash, McNeil noted.
A few suggestions she offers to schools: Set up taste tests so students can vote for their favorites; educate students about nutrition, where food comes from and how it’s made; pair something new with an old favorite; and add Tajin seasoning, which can make anything taste good, she said.
Some districts are paying close attention to what students eat at home, and creating menus that reflect families’ diverse culinary traditions. The idea is to give students food they already enjoy while exposing them to new cuisines. Chefs at several districts vouched for the power of peer pressure: Kids are more likely to try something new if they see their friends eating it.
“The students like to be part of the conversation. By asking them what they like, where they’re from, it shows we’re paying attention and listening to them.” — Josh Gjersand, executive chef at mount diablo unified
At Mt. Diablo Unified in Contra Costa County, the district hired an executive chef, Josh Gjersand, who’d previously worked at fine dining restaurants in San Francisco and the East Bay. He chose to work in schools, he said, because of the regular hours, rewards of serving children and the funding available to be creative and ambitious.
One of his first tasks was to survey students about what they want to eat. They asked for halal meat, Latin American and Asian specialties and vegan options. So he came up with a menu featuring entrees like chana masala with chickpeas, organic rice, wheatberries and chutney; birria with locally processed, grass-fed beef; and fish filet tacos with slaw.
“The students like to be part of the conversation. By asking them what they like, where they’re from, it shows we’re paying attention and listening to them,” he said. “It’s amazing, the feedback we’ve been getting. It’s the best feeling.”
Humboldt County has a unique approach to serving “culturally relevant” school foods. Nearly 10% of students there are Native American, so the County Office of Education is offering meals — and curriculum — based on local native foods such as fish, berries and acorns.
“I started here 27 years ago and it’s exciting to see these changes, the positive impact on students and staff,” said Linda Prescott, the County Office of Education nutrition program director. “And we’re definitely seeing the economic impact on farmers. I think it’s making a difference in Humboldt.”
“I’m not really a cook. Before, we just defrosted stuff. This is all new and a little scary. But I want to learn.” — Renee Williams, food worker for 14 years at San Luis Coastal Unified
The fine art of cooking was central to a training last week at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa, one of the top cooking schools in the country. About three dozen school cafeteria workers from two districts in San Luis Obispo County gathered for a two-day training — paid for with state grants — on how to roast a sirloin, make grilled salmon with orange-thyme butter, braise greens and make other delicacies.
Renee Williams, who’s been in food service for 14 years at San Luis Coastal Unified, said she was a little daunted by the whole scene: the special CIA aprons, the fancy gas stoves, the huge glinting knives.
“I’m not really a cook. Before, we just defrosted stuff,” Williams said. “This is all new and a little scary. But I want to learn.”
‘A circular economy’
First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, who’s long advocated for improved school meals, checked in on the new chefs as they learned to julienne carrots and make the perfect roast potatoes.
As part of Farm to School, an initiative to provide healthier lunches in California schools, School food service workers at San Luis Coastal Unified School District, Teresa Vigil, left, and Maria Martínez, right, train at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa on Aug 3, 2023. Photo by Semantha Norris, CalMatters
She views the state’s investment in school nutrition as transformative for students, small farms and local economies. In five to 10 years she hopes to see food hubs well established throughout the state, and all schools participating.
“(My vision is that) we reach every public school kid in California, and have influenced the regenerative agricultural movement in California in such a way that most farms are practicing climate-smart agriculture,” Siebel Newsom said. “The small- and medium-scale farmers will benefit because they’ll have guaranteed buyers, and local economies will blossom. It’s a circular economy.”
The next steps, she said, are tackling food waste by establishing composting systems, and teaching students how to plant and cook their own food.
“Talk about awesome summer school,” she said. “We all have to eat. It’s such a gift to know how to cook, and take something seasonal from the garden or the stream and turn it into something that you can then share with other people, break bread, have a conversation and connect and come together as a community.”
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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
