It’s no secret that the Jefferson County Public School District is in a budget crisis. Two weeks ago, the Board of Education voted to close down Russell Elementary School in Arvada and last year the Board made cuts that included a decrease in custodial and facilities services staffing, elimination of staffing at the district’s costume room (for plays and the like) and decreased funding for the Warren Tech Galleria.
Now that it’s budget season once again, the district must identify those services that may no longer be necessary. Here are the cuts that affect RVHS most directly. For more information, visit http://www.jeffcopublicschools.org/finance/budget_development.html
1. Reduce Teacher-Student Ratio: This would change the number of teachers at each school to 41.5 teachers/1000 students, thus increasing class sizes and causing some teachers to be laid off.
2. Reduce .5 Counselor: Basically, one of Ralston Valley’s five counselors would become part-time only.
3. Reduce 1 Secretary: One of RVHS’s many secretaries would be laid off for next year.
The remaining cuts would not directly impact Ralston Valley, but could affect students who take buses to school or who need to make up credits (summer school is on the chopping block).
Check out the complete list at the link above and make sure to stay active in your education. Write to us if you have a comment on one or more of these cuts. Your opinions deserve to be heard.