Photo by Paul Zaretsky
Letter from the Mayor
Jack Dilles, Mayor of Scotts Valley
Scotts Valley is a small vibrant town, teeming with healthy lifestyle activities and beautiful parks. Folks move here because of the great schools, safe community, recreational opportunities and tree-studded environment. The City has an average police response time of only 2 minutes and 6 seconds and was recently recognized as the 14thsafest city in California.
GLENWOOD OPEN SPACE PRESERVE AND OTHER PARKS
Scotts Valley’s newest treasure, the 130 acre Glenwood Open Space Preserve, opened earlier this year. The community can now access the west side of this incredible area. Three miles of trails were constructed on the west side of Glenwood Drive, encompassing five loops, for hikers, mountain bikers and dog walkers.
The east side of the preserve will open up to the public later this year. Five miles of trails and spectacular vistas of redwoods, a pond and grasslands await hikers.
Other parks, including Siltanen Park, Skypark and MacDorsa Park, provide a variety of amenities such as barbeque facilities, softball fields, soccer fields, playgrounds, a swim center, tennis courts, basketball courts, a pump track, bocce ball courts, a large skate park and a dog park. Nearby are world famous Henry Cowell Redwoods and Big Basin Redwoods State Parks.
CYCLING
The City has been constructing traffic and cycling improvements around town and is planning more. Green Hills Road, a very popular cycling route on the east side of Highway 17, was recently resurfaced and bicycle lanes were expanded. Bright green bicycle boxes were added to key intersections, improving safety for cyclists. More improvements benefitting drivers and cyclists on Glenwood Drive are coming soon.
Scotts Valley is home to cycling oriented businesses including locally owned and full-service bicycle shop Scotts Valley Cycle Sport. Major bicycle companies Fox Factory, Bell, Giro, CamelBak and Blackburn are based in Scotts Valley. These businesses help the local economy and are a vital part of the City’s bright future as an outdoors oriented destination.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The City’s economic development has been boosted by the addition of the spectacular 1440 Multiversity learning center, which opened a couple of years ago, and by the new Four Points by Sheraton hotel, which opened last December. Both have brought visitors and their dollars to Scotts Valley. The City has also benefitted from the addition of the Kaiser Permanente medical facility.
Scotts Valley will continue to capitalize on the bounty of outdoor activities to make the city an ecotourism destination. Scotts Valley is the gateway to the mountains and has a lot to offer both residents and visitors.
WELCOME TO THE
City of Scotts Valley
The City of Scotts Valley, incorporated on August 2, 1966, is a general law city with a population of approximately 11,858. Scotts Valley is located in Santa Cruz County and is six miles north of the City of Santa Cruz and 26 miles southwest of San Jose. The City operates under the council-manager form of government. Five council members are elected to four-year terms, and every year the council selects one member to serve as mayor. The City Council appoints the City Manager, who is responsible for supervising the day-to-day operations of the City.
1 Civic Center Drive
Scotts Valley, CA 95066
Phone: 831-440-5600
Fax: 831-438-2793
About Scotts Valley
Nestled in the redwood forests, yet minutes from the beach, lies a thriving community that enjoys a booming high tech industry, excellent schools, and lovely residential neighborhoods. It is a juxtaposition of these and many other qualities that make Scotts Valley a unique place to live and work. Scotts Valley is unrivaled in its ability to balance industry and community, education and experience, and improvement and beauty. Perhaps it’s the dichotomy of vastly changing landscapes and diverging views, or maybe it’s the way local businesses support and foster a lucrative yet tranquil way of life. Whatever the reason, it is clear that Scotts Valley provides an optimal environment for its residents to thrive in their work and in their lives.
Climate: Scotts Valley’s climate is characteristic of mountainous coastal terrain. Summer is mild with occasional cool, foggy mornings and an average daily temperature ranging in the 60’s to 80’s. Autumn is typically warm with little rainfall. Winter brings necessary rain but is otherwise relatively mild with temperatures ranging from the 30s to 60s. Spring means gradually warming temperatures with occasional moderate rainfall. Annual average temperature is 68 degrees, and average annual rainfall is 41.18 inches.
Location: Scotts Valley is situated in northern Santa Cruz County, just a
short distance from Monterey Bay and nestled in the redwoods of the upland
of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It is approximately six miles north of Santa
Cruz, 30 miles southwest of San Jose, and 68 miles south of San Francisco.
Naming: Scotts Valley is named after Hiram Scott, who settled in Santa Cruz and purchased Rancho San Augustin in 1852. The city is located on a part of his family’s old ranch site.
Scotts Valley Demographics
Scotts Valley Statistics
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Scotts Valley covers 4.6 square miles
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Elevation is 527 feet at Scotts Valley – 1808 feet at the summit of the Santa Cruz Mountains
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Incorporated: 1966
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Population 11,903 (2010)
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Number of Jobs: 4,966
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Number of Employers: 706
Median household income is 63% higher than California. High school graduation is 19% higher than California. Median home value is 60% higher than California. Average summer temperature is 61°.
Crime Rate: Scotts Valley, CA to other cities in the state and across the country, Scotts Valley, CA is 74% safer than other cities of California. Total crimes are 25% lower than California.
Scotts Valley Award Winning Schools
The Scotts Valley Unified School District is a public school district which operates four schools educating about 2,700 students. www.scottsvalleyusd.org
The primary goal of SVUSD staff development plan is to engage teachers, administrators and staff in developing, researching and disseminating effective models of instruction. Effective professional development is essential to improving overall student outcomes. Our professional development plan is driven by the LCAP (Local Control Accountability Plan) and SPSAs (School Plans for Student Achievement.)
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Integration and Implementation of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) - Within the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), there are three distinct and equally important dimensions to learning science. These dimensions are combined to form each standard—or performance expectation—and each dimension works with the other two to help students build a cohesive understanding of science over time.
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English Language Development for Teachers (ELD) - Supporting literacy across content areas and interdisciplinary instruction by focusing on the relationships and convergences of mathematics, science, and English language arts practices
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International Baccalaureate (IB) - Scotts Valley High School is an IB school, offering both IB classes and a diploma. Founded in 1968, the International Baccalaureate® (IB) is a non-profit educational foundation offering four highly respected programmes of international education that develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills needed to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world. To find out more, visit the SVHS website
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Technology Integration - Student use of technology promotes development of twenty-first-century skills, such as communication, collaboration, and critical thinking, and allows access to resources for students.
Scotts Valley Public Schools
Scotts Valley Unified School District
4444 Scotts Valley Drive, 5B,ScottsValley
831-438-1820 / www.svusd.santacruz.k12.ca.us
Vine Hill Elementary School
151 Vine Hill School Rd.,ScottsValley
831-438-1090 / www.vinehill.santacruz.k12.ca.us
Brook Knoll Elementary School
151 Brook Knoll Dr.,Santa Cruz
831-423-2454 / www.brookknoll.santacruz.k12.ca.us
Scotts Valley Middle School
8 Bean Creek Rd.,ScottsValley
831-438-0610 / www.svms.santacruz.k12.ca.us
Scotts Valley High School
555 Glenwood Dr.,ScottsValley
831-439-9555 / www.svhs.santacruz.k12.ca.us
Scotts Valley Private Schools
Baymonte Christian School
5000-B Granite Creek Rd.,ScottsValley
831-438-0100 / www.baymonte.org
Montessori School – Scotts Valley
123 S. Navarra Drive,Scotts Valley
831-439-9313 / www.montessoricommunity.school
Scotts Valley Unified (District) California School Ratings
Scotts Valley High CSR rank: 10
Scotts Valley Middle CSR rank: 9
Vine Hill Elementary CSR rank: 8
School-Ratings.com
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96% of our students graduate high school
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95% of our graduates go on to college
Excellence in our schools helps Scotts Valley stand out: It boosts property values, ensures a bright future for our kids, and keeps Scotts Valley the kind of community we all want to live in!
History
Scotts Valley was named after Hiram Scott who purchased Rancho San Agustin, including the valley, in 1850 from Joseph Ladd Majors.
Before Majors, the property was owned by Jose Bolcoff. Bolcoff was the original settler and first European to claim title and live in what was to be Scotts Valley. He was born Osip Volkov around 1794 in Petropavlosk-Kanchatsky, a village on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Siberia. Working as a fur trader around 1815, Bolcoffjumped ship on the Monterey Bay shoreline, quickly assimilated into the Spanish culture, and was well received by the Spanish authorities. Volkov had his Russian Orthodox Baptism validated in Mission Soledad in 181 7, and was given the Spanish name Jose Antonio Bolcoff. Bolcofflived with and traveled with California's Governor Sota, acting as an interpreter. Becoming a Mexican citizen in 1833, Bolcoff moved his family to his 4,400-acre land grant building, an adobe casa historians speculate was located near present-day Kings Village Shopping Center. Bolcoff relinquished his interest in Rancho San Agustin, selling and accepting $400 from Joseph Ladd Majors, also known as Don Juan Jose Mechacas.
July 7, 1846 marked the shift in power in the region from Mexico to the United States.
Hiram Scott built Scott House in 1853 in Greek revival style. Sitting on the green lawn behind City Hall, it is a Santa Cruz County Historical Trust Landmark, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The house originally stood on Scotts Valley Drive, about where a Bank of America branch is now located.
In 1966, the City of Scotts Valley was incorporated, using the Scott family name. Scotts Valley's most famous resident was legendary film director Alfred Hitchcock. He was the Master of Suspense and his family lived in a mountaintop estate about the Vine Hill area for 32 years, from 1940 to 1972.
