Mar 5, 2008 7:18 pm US/Pacific
Student Walkout In Alameda Over Budget Cuts
ALAMEDA (CBS 5 / KCBS / AP / BCN) ―
Hundreds of students walked out of their classes Wednesday in Alameda in a protest over the state's proposed budget cuts which have already led to local cutbacks.
Up to 1,000 students from Encinal High School marched off campus and straight to the school district's headquarters about two miles away, which is located at Alameda High School.
The walkout was prompted by the school board's painful decision Tuesday night to cut the high school sports budget by 57 percent, eliminate all Advanced Placement classes and boost class sizes from 20 to 35.
With just $200,000 left in the athletic budget to run 21 varsity sports, pools at both Alameda High and Encinal High were slated to close. The pools offer access to city residents, as well as hosting swim meets and water polo events.
Many other extra curricular programs faced elimination, too, unless community donations can be found to salvage them.
The school board's goal is to cut spending by $4.5 million due to the likely reduction in state funding. A $120 local parcel tax is already headed for the June ballot to add more money to the cash-strapped district.
The protesting students, who chanted "No Sports, No School" and "Save Our School," refused to disperse and were invited into the auditorium at Alameda High to meet with the superintendent, who tried to explain the reality of the district's budget situation.
"They felt strongly they needed to make a statement to the school board," Encinal High School Principal Tony Kuns said of the students. "We decided to just make sure the kids were orderly and safe and represented themselves well. I think the kids really conducted themselves well. I left there feeling energized by the kids."
The protest organizers were able to spread the word of walkout plans among their follow students Wednesday morning through text messages, Kuns said.
"Would I prefer they stay in school? Yes. But I understand the rationale behind it," Kuns added. "We have some kids that were very passionate and very well spoken, and they care deeply about what could happen."
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed state budget would cut public school funding by about $4 billion, which "translates to a loss of $4-$5 million in basic per student funding as well as cuts to specific programs such as Special Education and Class Size Reduction subsidies," according to the Alameda Unified School District Web site.
Sabrina Lockhart, a spokeswoman for Schwarzenegger's office, said the budget cuts are difficult but necessary with the state's looming deficit.
"This is a difficult budget," she said. "Unfortunately, it is the result of the state needing budget reforms."
But Schwarzenegger's office also noted that Alameda's budget woes have been further impacted by declining enrollment.
"Alameda County has lost more students than almost any county in the state over the last few years," said a statement issued following Wednesday's student protest. "This means the school districts in this county have to make cuts not just because of the governor's budget proposal but also because of declining enrollment."
Dave Long, California's Secretary of Education, sought to put the state cuts into perspective.
"While the governor's previous budgets have resulted in record funding for California's schools, fully funding education next year would take billions from other critical programs, also faced with 10 percent across-the-board cuts. These include health care for the elderly and disabled and our state's parks and prisons," Long said.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
