43-912: Santa Cruz City School District is a public school district in Santa Cruz County, California , United States . It serves 7,000 students in grades pre-K through 12, both within and outside the city of Santa Cruz . It comprises two districts, an elementary and a secondary district, governed by a single seven-member Board of Education. The secondary school district has some areas where it serves grades 6-12 and others where it serves those only from grades 9-12. It also serves students from Bonny Doon School District, Happy Valley Elementary School District , Live Oak School District , Mountain School District, Pacific Elementary School District , and Soquel Union Elementary School District. It also serves homeschooling programs and adult students, although it
86-472: A female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.25. In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
129-627: A resource for navigating labor law through the Economic Justice Alliance of Santa Cruz County, a local organization that educates community members on issues of "sustainable wages and working conditions." In 2002, the National Association of Realtors reported that Santa Cruz was the most unaffordable place to live in the United States. This statement remains true with 2017 data that shows that Santa Cruz
172-581: A rising concern to local politicians, who have proposed parking restrictions to discourage short term renters. Rent control has been attempted as a policy in Santa Cruz three times between the 1970s and 1980s, but it never passed. National policies since the 1980s have deregulated rental markets, which decreased the rights of tenants and exacerbated frustrations for renters all across the country as well as in Santa Cruz. 27% of surveyed Santa Cruz County renters experience "overcrowding" in their homes, which
215-475: A surplus labor area by the U.S. Department of Labor. A surplus labor area has an unemployment rate 20% higher than national unemployment. As of 2024, Watsonville city was still on this list. 10% of jobs in Santa Cruz County are food producing/processing jobs. These employees make less than an average of $ 10 an hour. As of 2003, 21% of residents work outside of Santa Cruz County. This is down form
258-634: Is a bay of the Pacific Ocean located on the coast of the U.S. state of California , south of the San Francisco Bay Area . San Francisco itself is further north along the coast, by about 75 miles (120 km), accessible via CA 1 and US 101 . Santa Cruz is located at the north end of the bay, and Monterey is on the Monterey Peninsula at the south end. The " Monterey Bay Area " is a regional term used to describe
301-460: Is a public general aviation airport. There are two air carriers based at the airport offering on-demand air charter: There is a notable private airport, Monterey Bay Academy Airport , which is a former military base. The nearest airports for scheduled commercial travel include San Jose International Airport , Monterey Regional Airport , San Francisco International Airport , and Oakland International Airport . Monterey Bay Monterey Bay
344-581: Is considering whether to eliminate its adult education program for budgetary reasons. The Santa Cruz City Elementary School District's four elementary schools are all significantly over capacity, leading the district to consider reclaiming and reopening a fifth elementary school that was leased to a charter school operator several years ago. This California school-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Santa Cruz County, California Santa Cruz County ( / ˌ s æ n t ə ˈ k r uː z / ), officially
387-492: Is described as when there is more than one person per room of a house, which includes all rooms not just bedrooms. One of the constraints on Santa Cruz's development are environmental protections. The restrictions on land prevent development from responding to housing and employment demands, which is an issue particularly politically relevant in the Watsonville jurisdiction. This conflict between residents wanting to protect
430-548: Is known as a kelp forest . Soquel Canyon State Marine Conservation Area , Portuguese Ledge State Marine Conservation Area , Pacific Grove Marine Gardens State Marine Conservation Area , Lovers Point State Marine Reserve , Edward F. Ricketts State Marine Conservation Area and Asilomar State Marine Reserve are marine protected areas in Monterey Bay. Like underwater parks, these marine protected areas help conserve ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems. Clockwise around
473-558: Is land and 162 square miles (420 km ) (27%) is water. It is the second-smallest county in California by land area and third-smallest by total area. Of California's counties, only San Francisco is smaller by land area. The county is situated on a wide coastline with over 29 miles (47 km) of beaches. It is a strip about 10 miles (16 km) wide between the coast and the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains at
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#1732798809852516-774: Is north of Davenport, California ). Additionally, there is a "Cañada del Ciervo" ( ciervo is Spanish for elk ) close to the boundary between Rancho de los Corralitos and Rancho San Andrés , near the present-day Larkin Valley Road. This "Elk Valley" place name was given by José Antonio Robles who rode down, roped, and killed elk there in 1831. Lastly, elk remains dating from the Middle and Late Periods in Northern California were found in at least four late Holocene archeological sites in Santa Cruz County, all coastal: SCR-9 ( Bonny Doon site) and SCR-20 (Brown site) on
559-489: Is the least affordable county for renters. In Santa Cruz County, 60% of residents rent and a median monthly rent is $ 3000. UCSC's No Place Like Home Project reports that in Santa Cruz County, 2.5 minimum wage jobs would be needed to afford renting a 2 bedroom apartment. UCSC's "No Place Like Home" project identifies four main rental markets: agricultural workers, UCSC students, Silicon Valley tech workers, and short term vacation rentals. Short term rentals in particular have been
602-633: The California Central Coast , south of the San Francisco Bay Area region. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay , with Monterey County forming the southern coast. Santa Cruz County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood. In the original act, the county was given the name of " Branciforte " after the Spanish pueblo founded there in 1797. A major watercourse in
645-629: The County of Santa Cruz , is a county on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California . As of the 2020 census , the population was 270,861. The county seat is Santa Cruz . Santa Cruz County comprises the Santa Cruz– Watsonville , CA Metropolitan Statistical Area , which is also included in the San Jose – San Francisco – Oakland , CA Combined Statistical Area . The county is on
688-743: The Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 ( Tabor, p.167-169 ). School districts include: Unified: Secondary: Elementary: Santa Cruz County is served by the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District bus system. An Amtrak Thruway "Highway 17 Express" bus between Santa Cruz and San Jose is jointly operated by Amtrak , the SCMTD and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority . Watsonville Municipal Airport
731-555: The State Assembly , Santa Cruz County is split between the 28th , 29th and 30th Assembly districts, represented by Democrat Gail Pellerin , Democrat Robert Rivas and Democrat Dawn Addis , respectively. In the State Senate , Santa Cruz County is entirely within the 17th Senate District , represented by Democrat John Laird . The following table includes the number of incidents reported and
774-453: The census of 2000, there were 255,602 people, 91,139 households, and 57,144 families residing in the county. The population density was 574 people per square mile (222 people/km ). There were 98,873 housing units at an average density of 222 units per square mile (86 units/km ). There were 91,139 households, out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 10.2% had
817-422: The poverty line , including 12.50% of those under age 18 and 6.30% of those age 65 or over. Santa Cruz County residents tend to be well-educated. 38.3% of residents age 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree at least, significantly higher than the national average of 27.2% and the state average of 29.5%. Santa Cruz County was a Republican stronghold for most of the 19th and 20th centuries; from 1860 through 1980
860-531: The 1769 Portola Expedition near the mouth of the Pajaro River both on the way north on October 6, and on the way south on November 25. Later, elk were also described by nineteenth century American hunters. They were also described in Santa Cruz County by Jlli tribelet Awaswas Ohlone people , who utilized elk along with pronghorn ( Antilocapra americana ) and lived on the Jarro Coast (El Jarro Point
903-497: The 28% outside employment rate of 1989. The agriculture businesses are significant enough to be prominent in local politics, where they influence issues of water, pesticide use, and labor. There are mandated living wages for Santa Cruz county, and individually in the cities of Watsonville and Santa Cruz. These occurred after The Santa Cruz Living Wage Coalition campaigned to set up ordinances. The low wage sector of Santa Cruz experiences workplace abuse. Data from 2015 show that in
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#1732798809852946-756: The Monterey Bay-adjacent Central Coast communities of Santa Cruz , Monterey , and San Benito counties. The three counties, along with Monterey Bay-adjacent cities, collaborate in the Association of Monterey Bay Governments (AMBAG) on regional issues and come together for events like the State of the Region hosted by the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership . The first European to enter Monterey Bay
989-482: The bay and bestowed the name Bahía de San Pedro in honor of Saint Peter Martyr . The present name for the bay was given in 1602 by Sebastián Vizcaíno , who had been tasked by the Spanish government to complete a detailed chart of the coast. On December 16, 1602 he rounded a large peninsula and entered a bay that he named Puerto de Monterrey in honor of Don Gaspár de Zúñiga y Acevedo, 5th Count of Monterrey , who
1032-436: The coast of Santa Cruz County. Like underwater parks, these marine protected areas help conserve ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems. Santa Cruz County borders four other counties: San Mateo to the northwest, Santa Clara to the north and east, Monterey to the south, and San Benito with a small border to the south. The county of Santa Cruz has experienced demographic fluctuations in recent history. Between 1990 and 2000,
1075-472: The county, Branciforte Creek , still bears this name. Less than two months later, on April 5, 1850, the name was changed to "Santa Cruz" ("Holy Cross"). Mission Santa Cruz , established in 1791 and completed in 1794, was destroyed by the 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake , but a smaller-scale replica was erected in 1931. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 607 square miles (1,570 km ), of which 445 square miles (1,150 km )
1118-437: The county, 38% of Agricultural workers have experienced overtime pay violation, 14% of tipped workers reported tips stolen by their employers, and 50% of service sector workers reported violations on receiving breaks. It is California law for employers to make written workplace policies available. However, in a county wide survey, 30% of workers reported that they did not receive an employee handbook. Service sector laborers have
1161-401: The crisis that was exacerbated by UCSC growth and Silicon Valley encroachment. Debates about land use in Santa Cruz were particularly important after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake , which destroyed the central business district of Santa Cruz and led to the loss of an estimated 2,000 jobs. Already contentious debates about land were present in the area due to its large tourism industry and
1204-422: The environment and those wanting more housing is also racially divided, as most residents favoring environmental protection are white, while the population on the side of developing housing is more heavily Latino. A 2010–2011 report by a Santa Cruz County grand jury states that Watsonville had no policy for assessing environmental hazards, and would give out land use and building permits without any investigations of
1247-494: The environmental conditions of the land in question. One of the housing solutions that residents have resorted to is the occupation of accessory dwelling units. Commonly known as "mother-in-law" units, these secondary housing spaces on residential property used to be illegal to build. In 2002, Santa Cruz leaders changed the law and encouraged construction with affordable mortgages. The goal was to contain urban sprawl while still finding housing alternatives for residents in light of
1290-528: The largest underwater canyons in the world, begins off the coast of Moss Landing , in the center of Monterey Bay. It is 249 miles (401 km) long, although its shape changes regularly because of currents and sediment being left in the area. The canyon is much like that of a continental slope; the biology of the canyon changes significantly in different parts of the canyon. Monterey Bay is home to many species of marine mammals , including sea otters , harbor seals , and bottlenose dolphins ; as well as being on
1333-450: The migratory path of gray and humpback whales and a breeding site for elephant seals . Killer whales are atypically found along the coast, especially when gray whales migrate, as they hunt the whales during their migration north. Many species of fish , sharks , mollusks such as abalone and squid , birds, and sea turtles also live in the bay. Several varieties of kelp grow in the bay, some becoming as tall as trees, forming what
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1376-421: The north coastal land comprises relatively flat terraces that end at steep cliffs like those shown in the photo below. Santa Cruz County is home to the following threatened or endangered species : Historically, tule elk ( Cervus canadensis nannodes ) were native to the coastal grasslands of Santa Cruz County. Elk, sometimes confused with bison , were initially described by Miguel Costansó in his diary of
1419-409: The northern end of the Monterey Bay . It can be divided roughly into four regions: the rugged "north coast"; the urban City of Santa Cruz , Soquel , Capitola , and Aptos ; mountainous Bonny Doon , San Lorenzo River Valley ; and the fertile "south county", including Watsonville and Corralitos . Agriculture is concentrated in the coastal lowlands of the county's northern and southern ends. Most of
1462-407: The only Democrats to carry Santa Cruz were Woodrow Wilson in 1916, Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 and 1936, Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, and Jimmy Carter in 1976. However, the opening of UCSC in 1965 caused the county's political landscape to dramatically change. Today, it is a strongly Democratic county in presidential and congressional elections. The last Republican to carry the county
1505-513: The political elite and economic elite were monopolizing control over the rebuilding movement. According to Santa Cruz County's 2020-21 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the county are: Winemaking —both the growing of the grapes and their vinting—is an important part of the economic and cultural life of Santa Cruz County. The wines of the David Bruce Winery and Ridge Vineyards were selected for tasting in
1548-541: The population increased by 11.3%. This is primarily because of new births, rather than immigration or migration. The 2010 United States Census reported Santa Cruz County had a population of 262,382. The racial makeup of Santa Cruz County was 190,208 (72.5%) White , 2,766 (1.1%) African American , 2,253 (0.9%) Native American , 11,112 (4.2%) Asian , 349 (0.1%) Pacific Islander , 43,376 (16.5%) from other races , and 12,318 (4.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 84,092 persons (32.0%). As of
1591-403: The rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense: In the 19th century, Santa Cruz's economy was based on milling lumber, making lime cement from limestone, and tanning leather. By the mid 19th century, Santa Cruz was the second largest manufacturing area in the state. As natural resources depleted, tourism became the more important economic sector in the area. In 1989, Santa Cruz was named as
1634-431: The relatively new UCSC campus, but after the quake both private interests and public servants had a stake in how rebuilding would go. This led to a necessary compromise, a public-private partnership that debated the how to rebuild the pacific garden mall space, with considerations of green space, timely implementation, and supporting local business and economy. Many constituents felt left out of this process, and reported that
1677-712: The western slope of Ben Lomond Mountain , SCR-93 (Sunflower site) a coastal terrace on the north shore of the San Lorenzo River in Santa Cruz , and SCR-132 ( Scott Creek site) 4 miles inland. Pronghorn antelope ( Antilocapra americana ) remains were found at the SCR-20 (Brown site) on the western slope of Ben Lomond Mountain dating to about 1500 A.D. Año Nuevo State Marine Conservation Area , Greyhound Rock State Marine Conservation Area and Natural Bridges State Marine Reserve are marine protected areas off
1720-477: Was Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo on November 16, 1542, while sailing northward along the coast on an imperial Spanish naval expedition. He named the bay Bahía de los Pinos , probably because of the forest of pine trees first encountered while rounding the peninsula at the southern end of the bay. Cabrillo's name for the bay was lost, but the westernmost point of the peninsula is still known as Point Pinos . On December 10, 1595, Sebastián Rodríguez Cermeño crossed
1763-524: Was Ronald Reagan in 1980 , and the last Republican to win a majority in the county was Richard Nixon in 1968 . The last Republican to represent a significant portion of Santa Cruz in Congress was Burt L. Talcott , who was defeated in 1976 by Leon Panetta . Santa Cruz County is split between California's 18th and 19th congressional districts, represented by Zoe Lofgren ( D – San Jose ) and Jimmy Panetta ( D – Carmel Valley ), respectively. In
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1806-410: Was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 53,998, and the median income for a family was $ 61,941. Males had a median income of $ 46,291 versus $ 33,514 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 26,396. About 6.7% of families and 11.9% of the population were below
1849-674: Was the governor of New Spain and had dispatched the expedition. Monterrey is an alternate spelling of Monterrei , a municipality in the Galicia region of Spain from which the viceroy and his father (the Fourth Count of Monterrei) originated. All other place names in the vicinity containing Monterey were so named because of their proximity to the bay. This includes the Presidio of Monterey , City of Monterey , County of Monterey and Monterey Canyon . The Monterey Canyon , one of
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