Resources
Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County has 11 school districts, 13 charter schools and 1 county office of education. In 2022 the Kitchen Infrastructure and Training (KIT) Fund sent $4.5 million to agencies in the county, and in 2025 another $1.1 million.
Every agency's KIT money
The California Department of Education (CDE) gave the 2022 round by formula to agencies that sponsor the federal school meal programs. The 2025 round was a competitive grant. Hands-on food education in school gardens is an allowed use of the 2026 money.
$4.5 million
2022 allocations
$1.1 million
2025 grants
| Agency | Type | 2022 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonny Doon Union Elementary | School district | None listed | None listed | |
| Happy Valley Elementary | School district | None listed | None listed | |
| Live Oak Elementary | School district | $352,859 | $71,941 | |
| Mountain Elementary | School district | None listed | None listed | |
| Pacific Elementary | School district | $128,958 | $10,459 | |
| Pajaro Valley Unified | School district | $2,359,689 | $652,836 | |
| San Lorenzo Valley Unified | School district | $328,884 | $61,381 | |
| Santa Cruz City Elementary | School district | $573,179 | $241,806 | |
| Santa Cruz City High | School district | None listed | None listed | |
| Scotts Valley Unified | School district | $302,445 | None listed | Priority |
| Soquel Union Elementary | School district | $254,841 | $63,338 | |
| Alianza Charter | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| California Online Public Schools Monterey Bay | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Ceiba College Preparatory Academy | Charter school | $107,416 | None listed | Priority |
| Delta Charter | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Diamond Technology Institute | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Linscott Charter | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Ocean Grove Charter | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Pacific Collegiate Charter | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Santa Cruz County Career Advancement Charter | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| SLVUSD Charter | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Tierra Pacifica Charter | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Watsonville Charter School of the Arts | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Watsonville Prep | Charter school | None listed | None listed | |
| Santa Cruz County Office of Education | County office of education | $108,264 | None listed | Priority |
2022 amounts as of March 29, 2024; 2025 amounts as of March 11, 2026.
Priority: on CDE's 2022 allocations and not on its 2025 grant list. The 2026 law (Education Code 49507) gives these agencies first priority in 2026.
A charter school that reorganized since a round may be listed under an older charter number.
Gardens in Santa Cruz County
Of the 11 school districts here, Ten Strands found public evidence of a school garden in 11 and of garden-based education in 9.
From Ten Strands' statewide district dataset, as of September 29, 2026. Ten Strands looks for public evidence, so a missing item may mean the district has not said so publicly.
School garden data
The statewide findings, the method and the validation form.
Fix your district's data
Tell Ten Strands what your district has, so the next analysis counts it.
Ten Strands' district dataset
The Data Initiative for Environmental and Climate Action in California's TK-12 Schools: some ninety indicators for every district, free to download.
Coalition members near Santa Cruz County
Member organizations in the Central Coast region, then the ones that work statewide. Not sure which one fits? Write to us at hello@caschoolgardens.org and we'll introduce you.
In the Central Coast region
Show all 9 in the Central Coast region
Statewide
Does your organization work with schools here? Add it to the coalition.