Budget cuts hit close to home for advice columnist
The recent budget cuts at the high school have me in an angry
funk. Many teachers are about to lose their jobs or a lot of money.
And, the art classes may suffer because of it. What’s a student
supposed to do?
Budget cuts hit close to home for advice columnist
The recent budget cuts at the high school have me in an angry funk. Many teachers are about to lose their jobs or a lot of money. And, the art classes may suffer because of it. What’s a student supposed to do?
For those who are lost, let me rewind. Because of the recent budget freeze, courtesy of the Governator, the school board decided to take major action at last week’s meeting. They decided to make budget cuts, jeopardizing the art classes including French, sign language, drama, journalism, and music classes. But why am I complaining when I’m a senior? As a student going on to college, I am both confused and hurt. I plan on coming back to this high school to intern and work towards my singing degree and be the choir director. I can’t intern for a class that does not exist. Because let’s face it, they won’t take away the band, so that leaves choir with a 33 percent chance of being axed.
I decided to present this to the school board myself. I would have felt a whole lot better if the majority of the board was actually paying attention. They said, “Our first priority is the students,” but if you’re not listening, that doesn’t make me priority number one does it? My heart was broken when I saw teachers fighting for their jobs, and students fighting to save their favorite classes.
There’s a saying “if you build it, they will come.” This could also be the opposite. If you take away the classes that help students unwind, then students won’t really find school interesting. In drama, you get to be someone you’re not. In choir, you get to sing your heart out with those who feel the same way. In journalism, you uncover mysteries thus putting them into print. And in foreign language classes, you get to speak a different language! All of these are what students want. These classes give us a home away from home.
Not only are the art classes affected, but advanced placement classes are being taken into consideration as well. AP classes are what make your college application stand out. Classes we need are being taken away. The cuts are depriving us of fun, education, and most importantly, our futures. The only way these classes can be saved is the amount of enrollment for next year. The fates of these classes lie in the hands of those who are underclassmen, and incoming freshmen. But there must be another way to save these classes. Perhaps that $6 million account we have in reserve. But, we are told we must save it in case of an emergency, like a terrible pandemic. The loss of the arts is a growing epidemic. Emergency! We have a nasty infection!
