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College prep program on chopping block at BUHS |
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Wednesday, 06 May 2009 |
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By Mike Bodine
Register Staff
5-5-2009 A very popular program at Bishop Union High School that helps students get into college is in danger of getting cut, severely. The same could be said for many other classes and programs, teachers and staff in schools throughout the state.
The California school system is struggling, to say the least. It already ranks among the bottom five of all 50 states when it comes to per student spending, nearly $1,900 below the national average.
This year brings new challenges with ballot measures aimed at extending tax increases to re-pay school funding that was cut or delayed in the last few years. The unpredictable factor of how the citizens vote will help determine the fate of many school programs and possibly jobs.
Maggie Kingsbury, BUHS superintendent, said that as schools attempt to draft budgets for the next fiscal year, much of their funding depends on the May 19 Special Statewide Election and possibly federal Economic Stimulus funds, so budgets are being drawn very conservatively and the schools will backfill funding to programs and personnel if the propositions pass or, somehow the state budget gets fixed.
This means that preliminary lay-off notices have been given and cuts to programs are being projected.
Kingsbury stressed that with the budget problems, the reports of programs cuts are only preliminary. The AVID, or Advancement Via Individual Determination, is expected to be cut from three classes to one at Bishop High. AVID is a college preparatory program designed to give all students an opportunity to attend college.
The mission of AVID is to ensure that all students will succeed in a rigorous curriculum including college prep classes, ensure that all students enter mainstream activities at the school, increase enrollment at four-year colleges and that students become educated, responsible participants and future leaders.
Both Kingsbury and BUHS Trustee Carl Lind said that AVID is not the only program projected to get cut.
Lind said that with the current budget projections, class size at BUHS should grow from 23-25 per class to 34-35, and maybe even 40 for next year. He said that these will include academically strenuous classes.
“With that many kids, it’s not just hard to teach, but it’s even harder to give the individual attention students deserve,” Lind said.
Kingsbury said that in addition to funding cuts, BUHS is expecting a drop in enrollment, which also means a lack of funding. Kingsbury added that she fears even more families than expected will move out of the area this summer in search of work.
Kingsbury described the worse-case scenario in which AVID is cut to one period. She said the program would then focus on juniors and seniors in preparation for college. She said herself and Principal Kristine Kulow would then work on a school-wide program to help prepare all freshman and sophomore students for college.
Kingsbury agreed that the AVID program is very popular and that those involved are very passionate about the program and hope it survives the chopping block.
Kingsbury added, “Unfortunately, they’ll just have to wait and see,” just as teachers and staff are left to wait and see whether they’ll still have jobs next year.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 10 July 2009 )
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