BELLPORT, Long Island (WABC) — Students at a high school in Suffolk County, Long Island staged a walkout in support of their teachers on Wednesday, protesting their superintendent’s proposal to cut dozens of jobs in order to close a budget gap.
Despite below-freezing temperatures, the vast majority of students at Bellport High School walked out during 6th period on Wednesday, an estimated 1,000 of them, to make a statement, “We refuse to stay silent about the injustice in our education.”
Some parents were outside too in a show of support.
The South Country School District is reeling from proposed budget cuts that would eliminate a total of 55 jobs next year, 43 of them teachers, and that’s on topof this year’scuts, trimming 32 teachers already. The outcome, they say, hasn’t been pretty.
“There’s less classes and people aren’t as motivated to come to school anymore,” said Bellport High School student Naomi Schindler-Schul.
Perhaps the biggest fear, at least among parents of younger children, is oversized classes, in a district that’s already well below state levels for both math and reading.
“Only three out of 10 students in our district read at grade level, yet they’re cutting English teachers,” said parent Shannon Marshall.
South Country’s superintendent, in a letter to the community, wrote, “..the district has been implementing a three-year fiscal recovery plan… each potential reduction was considered carefully and thoughtfully, guided by the principle of preserving students’ core academic programming and essential services to the greatest extent possible.”
But for some of these students, essential services can mean manythings.
“Like, a student could go to school and be themselves through the clubs, but now, there’s less clubs and next year, there’s gonna be even less clubs,” said Bellport High School student Asher King.
Some parents are wondering if the district has truly exhausted all options from the state.
“My understanding is they haven’t made any efforts. They’re just making the cuts,” parent Jean Adamson said.
As those with the most at stake, the students hope they are heard.
“They underestimated what we could do. We’re just students at the end of the day, but we still have a voice,” said a student named Jesse.
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