SCOTTS VALLEY – Several teachers and parents of middle school students pleaded with district leaders to save the academy program at Scotts Valley Middle School.
The 2-year-old academy, which sets aside time during the school day for students to focus on subjects in which they need extra attention, is on the chopping block as Scotts Valley Unified School District looks to cut costs in the wake of severe shortfalls in state education funding.
Discontinuing the academy pilot program is expected to save the cash-strapped district nearly $90,000.
Cutting the academy is one of several reductions the district is considering. Others include salary cuts and furlough days for teachers.
District officials have said the program can continue if it can be staffed with a ratio of 26 students to one teacher.
The pleas from teachers and parents came during Tuesday’s Scotts Valley Unified School District board meeting. No decision was made on the matter and there was little discussion among trustees as the issue – brought up during public comment – was not on the agenda.
Parent Kathy Theilen said her daughter, now in high school, showed dramatic academic improvement after joining the academy as an eighth-grader, and her sixth-grade son is currently in the program.
She said losing the academy would be a “disservice” to students struggling to keep up with classwork.
“The academy system is a vital and immeasurable advantage for those students who require additional assistance,” Theilen said. “I know it’s budget, budget, budget. But this is one that cannot and should not be put in any arena to be cut.”
Board president Larry Beaman read a letter to the audience at the beginning of Tuesday’s meeting that touched on the serious financial challenges the district is facing.
“We simply don’t have the money to operate as is,” Beaman said. “We’re struggling with this ourselves. We’re looking at the school district as a whole. Would other schools sacrifice to help this program succeed? That’s a question we need to ask.”
The academy allows for “an enrichment period” where students can read independently, work in small groups or seek one-on-one instruction from their teachers in a particular subject.
The program has been praised for improving test scores and overall student achievement.
“It is a program that is crucial and essential if we are to maintain excellence in our Scotts Valley schools,” parent Linda Romeo said.
