Schools

An associate degree from Gavilan College means even more with the ever-expanding transfer program between California Community Colleges and California State Universities.

While the San Benito High School football team has put together another successful end-of-season run, the band has been on a hot streak of its own.

Morgan Hill Unified School District’s decision to deny two charter school petitions went to trial on appeal Wednesday night in the courtroom setting of the Santa Clara County Office of Education.

A war of words and charges of “dirty pool” politics have characterized a bruising battle in Morgan Hill over the last seven months as two charter school organizations seek approval to open elementary schools.

The San Benito High School student body raised money last year for  Wonder Woofs, a local nonprofit, who used the funds to purchase a new drug-sniffing dog, Sapphire, which will be trained and used at area schools, including San Benito High.

“We use all golden retrievers,” said Sean Haggett, founder of Wonder Woofs, in an interview Tuesday. “They’re friendly dogs.”

San Benito High School Principal Krystal Lomanto said Wonder Woofs is a “great preventative tool” for the high school.

Haggett said the reason the school helped raise the funds is to be “proactive” against drugs on campuses - on their campus and other campuses.

“It’s not that a school has a drug problem,” he said. “If we can deter one child from doing drugs, it’s a good thing.” 

Having a drug-free environment is a “priority” for the school, Lomanto said in an e-mail to the Free Lance on Thursday.

“SBHS takes pride and works very hard at providing a safe campus for our students and staff,” she said. “Wonder Woofs has helped by providing a positive deterrent.”

Hollister School District officials are joining their counterparts at the San Benito High School District by weighing the placement of a school bond on the 2014 ballot.

Suit up, San Benito Trekkies. You’ll want to take a voyage to this meeting.

In an effort to increase attendance at last week’s San Benito High School forum over possible campus expansion – and a $39 million bond measure to help pay for it – administrators offered to cut detention hours for students if their parents showed up to the meeting.

Hollister residents and San Benito High School trustees gathered Wednesday night to talk about ideas for a planned expansion of the current campus.

Students line up every morning at 8:15 a.m. outside the classrooms and pledge allegiance to the stars and stripes. “I pledge allegiance to the flag ...” chanted a group of identically dressed children in matching blue polo shirts.