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Breaking News Stories

School board agenda highlighting a staff hiring item with a job application labeled “Family?” on a boardroom table.

When the Board Is Mom, Stepdad, and Brother: Dehesa’s Data Job and the Daughter They Want to Put in It

With three members of the White family holding a board majority, Dehesa is moving to place the board president’s daughter in a key data-compliance job—despite its own anti-nepotism rules and

Lizzie November 25, 2025 11:48 am

Close-up of a desk covered in highlighted public records, sticky notes, and a yellow highlighter, symbolizing an investigation into a school district’s charter finances and oversight.

Thirteen Points of Spin: How Dehesa’s Superintendent Tried to Rewrite the Record

When Dehesa’s superintendent fired off a thirteen-point defamation threat over my coverage of his tiny district’s massive charter empire, he didn’t just dispute a story—he became part of it. What

Lizzie November 21, 2025 10:47 am

A sunlit school gymnasium with voting booths lined up and a child standing alone in the center, evoking themes of public accountability, education policy, and democratic process.

Stop Calling It Choice: Public Funds Deserve Public Standards

Charter schools were created in the spirit of innovation and flexibility—but with billions in public funds flowing into private hands and virtually no voter accountability, the promise of “choice” now

Lizzie October 16, 2025 6:36 pm

A close-up, high-resolution photograph of U.S. currency, with tightly stacked hundred-dollar bills in sharp focus. The lighting emphasizes the texture and detail of the paper, evoking themes of money, funding, and financial influence.

When the Tail Wags the Dog: How Tiny Districts Like Dehesa Are Raking in Millions While Educating Almost No One

A small East County school district with under 100 students authorizes more than 13,000 charter enrollments across Southern California. As oversight fees rise and land deals expand, questions emerge about

Lizzie October 14, 2025 8:35 am

Community Spotlight

Op Ed

The ordering counter at Lakeside Social coffee shop, showing large black and gold menu boards filled with drink and food options hanging above a counter lined with flavoring syrups and coffee equipment.

Sipping Local: Why Lakeside Social is the New Heart of Woodside

With a sprawling specialty menu, generous portions, and a high-energy atmosphere, this Lakeside gem is proving that a great cup of coffee is only the beginning of the experience.

Lizzie April 20, 2026 1:12 pm

The Sizzle Shack: A New Burger Royalty Emerges in East County

When In-N-Out’s heiress announced she was leaving California, burger lovers wondered who might rise to fill the symbolic void. Enter The Sizzle Shack: a fresh, family-owned burger joint in El

Lizzie July 29, 2025 2:39 pm

East of 52 Launches: A New Voice for Unfiltered, Local Journalism in East County

In a time when independent journalism is disappearing and local issues are too often overlooked, a new publication is stepping in to fill the

Lizzie June 26, 2025 5:55 pm

When the Board Is Mom, Stepdad, and Brother: Dehesa’s Data Job and the Daughter They Want to Put in It

Thirteen Points of Spin: How Dehesa’s Superintendent Tried to Rewrite the Record

Stop Calling It Choice: Public Funds Deserve Public Standards

When the Tail Wags the Dog: How Tiny Districts Like Dehesa Are Raking in Millions While Educating Almost No One

Sipping Local: Why Lakeside Social is the New Heart of Woodside

The Sizzle Shack: A New Burger Royalty Emerges in East County

East of 52 Launches: A New Voice for Unfiltered, Local Journalism in East County

Sick of Your Local School Board? Then Run for It.

$31.5 Million, Verified Training, and the Harder Question: What Does “Meaningful Oversight” Actually Mean?

Santana High shooter resentencing: a 2001 case collides with modern juvenile sentencing law

Thirteen Points of Spin: How Dehesa’s Superintendent Tried to Rewrite the Record