KELSEYVILLE — A throng of Kelseyville High School students protesting possible budget cuts walked off of the campus at lunchtime Friday and across Konocti Road to the district office.
Protest organizers Summer Prueitt, 17, and Laurel Wright, 16, said the protest was to get the attention of school administrators who they believed had not adequately heard the concerns of parents, teachers and students at a Monday school board meeting. They organized the protest in three days, and estimated “half the school” participated.
“A lot of people gave ideas on how to save and earn money, and they basically said, ?well thank you for talking, but we”re going to go right ahead,”” Prueitt said.
In excess of 100 students followed a line of students at the front of the group who were carrying a banner that read, “We have voices. Learn to listen.” The group stopped and held the banner facing the front of the district office until Boyce McClain, the district superintendent, walked out and asked the students to “have some dialog” with him and KHS Principal Matt Cockerton in the high school”s gym.
McClain told the students he respected their right to freedom of speech and to the Democratic process. He told the students he and Cockerton would hold an assembly on Tuesday to address their concerns and to correct what he believed was misinformation the students had heard through the grapevine.
“They think things are going to be cut that really are not going to be cut. They think that we”re going to cut the sports programs and they want me to cut the adult program instead. They think that their class sizes are all going to go to 30,” McClain said, adding those claims were not true.
Prueitt said it was the sports programs she would like to see cut, rather than having courses such as science and mathematics cut because of teacher attrition.
“What looks better on your transcript: that you played basketball or that you got higher-level science and math?” Prueitt said.
“Sports can fundraise, classes can”t,” Wright said.
Prueitt and Wright said some of the high school”s teachers are already forced to teach classes they are not qualified to teach because of previous staff cuts. In addition, they said bigger classes mean fewer students have a chance at taking honors classes and getting into college.
In addition, Prueitt said the high school”s library could be closed next week, cutting off many students” ability to access computers, among other concerns.
McClain said the district is bracing for a new state budget in June, and any staff cuts would have to happen by mid-March. He said four teachers were retiring, and the school planned to leave those positions empty.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com, or call her directly at 263-5636 ext. 37.
