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SINCE 1889 Making Communities Better Through Print.™ VOL. CXXXVI, NO. XL
THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2026
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PRJUSD approves job reductions to address $3.9M budget deficit
Across North County: This Week’s News Briefs Paso Robles moves forward on FAA Spaceport License The Paso Robles City Council voted unanimously on March 4, to advance the City’s Spaceport and Technology Corridor initiative by directing staff to prepare a Request for Proposals (RFP) to complete the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Commercial Spaceport License application process. An independent review by aerospace consulting firm RS&H confirmed that the work completed so far provides a strong foundation for the application and identified next steps to secure the license. “Paso Robles has always been a community built on innovation, hard work, and entrepreneurial spirit,” said Mayor John Hamon. “Pursuing an FAA horizontal spaceport license positions our city to participate in one of the fastest-growing sectors of the global economy. This initiative has the potential to attract high-tech investment, create skilled career opportunities, and inspire the next generation of aerospace leaders right here in our community.” The initiative aims to develop aerospace workforce pathways in partnership with local schools, Cuesta College, and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The project benefits from support across government, education, and private industry, including NASA’s Ames Research Center, and leverages the 1,300-acre Paso Robles Municipal Airport for aerospace development while maintaining general aviation operations. A dedicated propulsion test site is already supporting research, prototyping, and hands-on learning. The City plans to release the RFP soon and will return to Council with recommended agreements after proposals are reviewed. A recording of the March 4 session is available on YouTube at youtube.com/live/ vjLVdQIfXpE?t=1123s. SWAT assists in arrest of suspect in gun threat case A 31-year-old man was arrested Sunday in connection with an alleged assault involving a firearm earlier this month on Spring Street. According to the Paso Robles Police Department, officers responded around 9:55 p.m. on March 5 to the 3300 block of Spring Street after a report that a suspect had pointed a handgun at a man’s head and threatened to kill him. The victim was able to escape and was not injured. The suspect fled north and was not located at the time. During a continued investigation on March 8, detectives identified the suspect as Irvin Hernandez, 31. Authorities obtained arrest and search CONTINUED ON PAGE A2
Declining enrollment and loss of COVID-era funding prompt cuts By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
Aquatic athletes from Paso Robles High School pose in front of the scoreboard during the ribbon-cutting of PRHS’s new Aquatic Center. Photo courtesy of Paso Robles High School
Paso Robles High School dives into new era with Aquatics Center ribbon-cutting ceremony Decades in the making, the Measure M-funded facility offers swim and water polo teams a home pool By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
PASO ROBLES — The Paso Robles Joint Unified School District officially celebrated the completion of the new Aquatics Center at Paso Robles High School with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, March 6. District leaders, staff, students, and community members gathered at the campus for the ceremony, which was followed by student-led tours of the
long-awaited facility. “This project has been a long time coming, and we are excited to celebrate its completion with our community,” said Superintendent Jennifer Loftus during the ceremony. “The Aquatics Center is a direct reflection of community support and is something the entire Paso Robles community can take pride in.” The new Paso Robles Aquatics Center represents a milestone for both the district and the community. Funded through
Measure M — a $95 million general obligation bond approved by voters in the Nov. 8, 2016, election — the facility was designed to expand opportunities for students while providing a modern space for aquatics programs and events. For decades, students, parents, and supporters had advocated for an on-campus pool at the high school. Until now, Paso Robles High aquatic athletes were required to travel across town to the CONTINUED ON PAGE A2
Paso Robles Children’s Museum board members take the stage during the 14th annual Cioppino and Vino fundraising event March 1 at the Paso Robles Event Center. Contributed photo
Record-breaking Cioppino & Vino raises over $83,000 for Paso Robles Children’s Museum; 75% more than last year Nearly 200 guests and local chefs gathered for the 14th annual fundraiser By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
PASO ROBLES — The 14th annual Cioppino and Vino fundraising event experienced its best year yet on Sunday, March 1. Nearly 200 guests and local chefs raised over $83,000 for the Paso Robles Children’s Museum.
COMMUNITY
Held at the Paso Robles Event Center, the 2026 Cioppino & Vino marked the nonprofit’s most successful and highest-attended event to date, raising a total of $83,536, with net proceeds exceeding $67,000 — nearly a 75% increase over the previous year. Executive Director Teresa
SPORTS
Dellaganna told Paso Robles Press the community is the source of this year’s overwhelming success. “Our success is directly tied to our community. We had new Cioppino & Vino guests from our community this year who see the importance of the work we are doing at the museum
NONPROFIT
bring in as many local kids into the museum as possible,” Dellaganna shared. Throughout the night, guests enjoyed exceptional cioppino creations paired with wines from participating wineries, including: JDusi Wines, Hoyt Family Vineyards, Dubost CONTINUED ON PAGE A2
PASO ROBLES — Trustees had the difficult decision Tuesday to approve a reduction in positions for the 2026–27 school year. During the March 10 Paso Robles Joint Unified School District meeting, the board approved the job reduction in response to the district’s $3.9 million budget deficit. Declining enrollment and loss of one-time funding the district received during COVID-19 is leading the district to reduce its expenses by $2.75 million. To do this, staff proposed a list of potential job cuts that includes five elementary school teachers, one high school counselor at Paso Robles High School, and a number of paraeducators. PRJUSD Superintendent Jennifer Loftus said she received the public’s feedback and concerns of losing counselors and therapy options for students saying, “Our school counselors are incredibly important.” She did want to clarify that while she agrees students need therapeutic counseling, but that school counselors are not meant to provide long-term therapy. According to the American School Counselor Association National Model, school counselors are not responsible for providing ongoing, long-term mental health therapy. Instead, their role is to offer shortterm, goal-focused counseling that helps remove barriers to students’ academic, career, and social-emotional success. The public expressed a lot of concern over those cuts, especially the counselors, especially the impact it could have on students whose first language is not English. Trustee Leo Castillo shared this concern, “This is not easy, and it’s not fun for anybody ... I understand it needs to happen or be looked at, I again worry about the future of the supports that we provide to our Hispanic population.” Loftus did want the public and trustees to know that counseling resources will still be available for students and that each elementary site has a fulltime school psychologist. An informational item was presented later in the meeting regarding a potential agreement with the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI), a statewide effort to expand behavioral health support for children, youth, and families in California schools. The initiative provides funding CONTINUED ON PAGE A2
WEATHER
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