By Isaac Lakser,
Staff Writer.
With the recent cuts on programs and facilities in our district imposed by the Santa Rosa City School District Board of Education, Santa Rosa High School is facing uncertainty regarding the stability of programs and classes, with many on the chopping block in the upcoming year. The proposed cuts will cause the school to lose key programs such as most of our Career Technical Education (CTE) classes, as well as the loss of the SRHS College and Career Center and the SRHS Wellness Center.
Many therapists, like some who work for the Wellness Center, are getting laid off and are going to have to find a job in another place. The cuts will also contribute to the loss of AP classes that assist students who want to take higher level classes than those offered on the academic level.
The College and Career Center, SRHS’s primary method of connecting students to colleges and appropriately planning for the future is also in jeopardy as it will not survive the cuts in full capacity. “I know as a school counselor and this particular position with the college and career counselor position is cut and has been cut. I received a pink slip already,” said CCC counselor Tracy Batchelder.
The board has dictated that in order to preserve financial stability, class sections need an average of 37 students enrolled. Many courses do not meet this threshold and likely are to be either removed entirely or merged with other courses to meet the requirements. The first is more likely for most classes. These changes will impact many areas and reduce the variety of course selection, as courses will not exist if they do not meet the quota. This could lead to a significant decrease in students picking classes based on more specialized interests.
The 37-student class requirement is also likely to cause several issues with the current class arrangements, as almost every class pales in comparison to that amount. However, it has been deemed necessary by the district’s Board of Education for the sake of saving money.
This is one of the hardest-hitting cuts that our school will face next year. Classes in previous years at or near 37 students have had to be dissolved because they’re too impractical to run. Larger classes put a huge burden on teachers and further strain the limited resources available to most programs.
