The Axe Falls

Here's what the district budget cuts mean for our school next year:

-- principal goes half time, works half time at another school
-- assistant principal laid off
-- 2 (of 11) teachers laid off
-- librarian goes half time, thus library closed for half the week
-- math coach, literacy coach, special ed assistant laid off
-- some clerical/aides laid off

The problem with being at such a small school is that these cuts really, really hurt. There aren't enough personnel to fill in these gaps. Losing the principal for half the week seems completely idiotic, especially without an assistant principal at all. That means that one or two Office Ladies are going to be in charge when he's gone. And let me just say that we have a great principal, who is truly the leader of our school. He's a presence all day, every day, in and out of classrooms, starting the day off on the yard -- he's not just some guy sitting in an office who only sees kids when they're in trouble.

And there are major safety issues here as all. Our old campus -- first opened in 1917 -- doesn't conform to current standards. We are on a long and narrow lot, with gates at each end. The office is right in the middle -- which means there's no way to control who enters the campus. The gates can't be locked, or else the campus is entirely inaccessible. But if they're left open, there's no way to force visitors to come to the office first -- they pass several classrooms first no matter which gate they enter. Right now we have the janitor, and one other assistant who are generally walking around and trying to keep an eye on things. And of course the teachers are all in their classrooms. But with fewer staff members, there are fewer eyes open for what's going on.

I'm bummed.