Education

New scholarship helps Richmond college students

The Richmond City Council voted Tuesday evening to include all of Richmond’s students in a new college scholarship program. Students who earn the scholarship will receive $1,500 per year, starting with high school graduates in 2016. The scholarship program known as the Richmond Promise is financed by a grant from Chevron Corp.

Initial report in on student achievement

West Contra Costa school trustees grappled with new evidence Wednesday suggesting the district failed to meet some student-achievement goals for the 2014-15 school year. Trustees and district employees spent half of a roughly three-hour board of education meeting discussing academic goals laid out as part of a state education funding program. For the 2014-15 school year, West Contra Costa received about $212 million total in grants from the state program. The district had to develop a “Local Control and Accountability…

Richmond Promise eligibility still on hold

Following a five hour long meeting Tuesday night, the Richmond City Council delayed voting on who to make eligible for the Richmond Promise scholarship program and how much money students would receive. Councilmembers had trouble reaching consensus on how to expand eligibility and set scholarship levels without running out of money too quickly.

Parents of truant students called to court in Contra Costa County

Six families with elementary and middle school-aged children sat in the gallery of Department 5 at the Contra Costa County Courthouse. They were called to appear at 10 a.m. Judge Rebecca Hardie wouldn’t emerge for another half hour. First, the adults were given a lesson about the impact of poor student attendance.