During the first of three public hearings being held this week, school officials on Tuesday got their first taste of public sentiment concerning the budget cuts proposed last week. Many people said they feared the impact of increased class sizes and the cutting of sports and after-school programs. I'm very concerned about the students who are active in sports and other activities. School board members are holding the informational meetings to get input from residents before acting on proposed cuts from their Budget Advisory Board and School Superintendent Bill Lahmann. The deepest cuts being considered come in the form of personnel layoffs, including custodians, clerical support and teachers.
Programs are also in jeopardy.
Junior high sports, the high school's sophomore sports program, the Quest Program for gifted children, textbook adoption and many others are all on the chopping block. Under the proposal, the junior high school's maximum class size of 29 will increase by two and the high school's maximum of 30 will increase by two. During the meeting, school administrators described the process in which proposed cuts were reached. Because of federal and state mandates on how money should be spent, less than 15 percent of the budget could be considered for cuts. For David Warren's mother, one of those needs is the Quest Program.