Latest reporting from the Education desk.
Education
Aidan Ellis, a first-generation Saint Mary's College student from Pleasanton, produced early lab results showing that the pesticide chlorpyrifos and PET microplastics may amplify neurotoxic effects when combined, research he initiated through the college's Summer Research Program.
Education
The Acalanes High School Parents Club is hosting a free webinar on Oct. 13 to help Lafayette families navigate the FAFSA and CSS Profile financial aid forms ahead of key fall deadlines.
Education
Saint Mary's College in Moraga opened the 2026-27 academic year with 693 new students, an 18% increase, along with four new NCAA Division I programs and a restructured School of Arts & Sciences, even as the college works to address a July accreditation warning.
Education
Acalanes High School families have three free college-prep events in September: an alternatives-to-college fair at the Lafayette Library on Sept. 24, a virtual admissions session with five selective universities on Sept. 16, and free ACT and SAT practice exams on Sept. 12 and 19.
Education
Parent organizations and the Black Student Union have scheduled a series of inclusion-focused events for Acalanes Union High School District families this fall, starting with an HBCU College Fair on Friday, Sept. 18.
Education
The Princeton Review named Moraga's Saint Mary's College one of the nation's best 392 colleges for 2027, part of a sweep of national recognition that also includes TIME, Newsweek and Money magazine lists, even as the college faces an accreditation warning over enrollment and finances.
Education
Saint Mary's College has announced a Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education on-site visit Nov. 1–6 to evaluate its nursing programs, and is accepting written third-party comments from students, alumni, employers and the public through Oct. 11.
Education
The Lafayette School District Governing Board was scheduled to adopt its first-ever Artificial Intelligence policy at its Aug. 19 meeting, along with a new Weather Safety policy and three confidential settlement agreements tied to employment and special education matters.
Education
As Lamorinda students returned to class Aug. 11, families face a year of change: new principals at three AUHSD high schools and Stanley Middle School, a new math curriculum in Lafayette, and a parcel tax headed for the November ballot.
Education
Ann Kim returned to Stanley Middle School in Lafayette on Tuesday, Aug. 11, as its new principal, two decades after she first joined the campus as a special education teacher, bringing priorities that include a new district math curriculum and expanded counseling support.
Education
Bill Schloss, a 15-year veteran principal from Cupertino High, took over at Miramonte High School on July 1 and is prioritizing community fundraising to offset AUHSD's status as the lowest-funded high school district in California.
Education
Saint Mary's College's Doctorate in Educational Leadership for Equity and Social Change celebrates 30 years, with alumni including the Mt. Diablo Unified superintendent and Oakland's violence-prevention director.
Education
A new federal law effective July 1 requires college programs to prove graduates earn at least $36,000 a year or risk losing federal loan eligibility. Education Department projections suggest arts programs like those at Saint Mary's College in Moraga face the highest failure rates nationally, though program-specific data won't be published until 2027.
Education
Frank Martinez, a first-generation college student who earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at Saint Mary's College in Moraga, was named San Joaquin County's 2026 School Counselor of the Year for his work at Weston Elementary in Ripon.
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