Today’s Kids Speak Week post is from Catalina Rusaw, a junior at Brasher Falls Central High School.
Currently there is a budget cut calling for all the arts at my school to be cut. What does that mean for me? That means that all the programs I am included in, that make me look forward to going to school, that help me enjoy high school will no longer be available for me. What does that mean for other students? They will be lessened a college opportunity. Some of these kids depend on these programs for scholarships, for a career. The state owes small public schools like us over 3 million dollars. Why haven’t we seen any of this money? Because of something called the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA). This is the reason most small schools are in fiscal peril. This started first back in 2010, in the first four years schools have lost $7.7 billion in state aid that was promised to us by law. That averages out to about $2,895 per student. Schools only have two options raise property taxes or cut programs, services and staff. Because Brasher Falls is such a small school district, we can’t raise the taxes anymore because nobody has the income to pay for them so we are forced to cut the arts. I’m asking for all small schools like us to be funded the way we should be. - See more at: http://educationspeaks.org/2014/04/kids-speak-week-im-asking-for-all-small-schools-like-us-to-be-funded-the-way-we-should-be/#sthash.gpkeccM6.dpuf