submitted by Hayley Stromberg
Student, Ranch View Middle School

Jan. 9th, 2012

With the Douglas County bond request recently turned down, Douglas County will again be forced to cut schools down even further. What is to become of DCSD? All the election related information was discussed among the adults in DCSD, but what about hearing from the students whose education this is hurting? If the kids spoke out, what would the adults think? What impact can we have?

Some adults think this generation is careless, ignorant, and disrespectful. In reality, most students are caring, engaged, and committed to furthering their education. What if the students spoke out about budget cuts and why this ballot was important? I want to impact those who are opposed to school funding. Others don't understand the perspective of the children who care. Just at Ranch View Middle School, which is where I go to school, the estimated cuts are $200 per student. As a total amount, Ranch View loses approximately 203,600 in funding, and approximately two to three teachers. Even the Federal Government is putting programs in place to advance education in the United States, as we continue to fall behind on a global level.

Students rely on a strong educational system to learn, to grow personally, and develop socially. Teachers dedicate themselves to influencing and impacting impressionable children. They study, sacrifice personal time, often purchase supplies out of their own pocket while being generally underpaid for the value they bring. Teachers make learning challenging, yet also fun. They inspire us. Plus, they have been on pay freezes for four years, while the cost of living continues to sky rocket.

Having to cut some of these teachers, subjects, electives, programs, and athletics is torture. I was introduced into the music program two years ago and I know from personal experience that cutting this program specifically is a very hard decision. Orchestra and band programs have been scaled back in many schools and cut in others, with more cuts almost certain. To many students music is a heartfelt passion and is what excites them and gives them something to look forward to. Music is just one of the many programs that are being cut.
There are many difficult decisions to be evaluated when determining what programs, classes, resources, and teachers to be eliminated. Ultimately, it's the students who lose by missing out on a broad variety of experiences that they would never be exposed to and are unable to develop new skills. But the community loses as well by students not gaining experiences and bringing the advantages of these programs to share, like music, theater, and athletics. Students are also not introduced to explore new interests and then give back to help the community.

Even if you don't have a student that goes to a Douglas County school, this is still impacting you and your property values. By this ballot not passing, your property values have gone down. As the level of education and programs in Douglas County declines, families will start to choose to live in other areas to pursue the higher levels of education DCSD has been known for over the years. New home owners may not choose to move into Douglas County, which lowers the demand for houses and lowers housing prices. A news article from CBS Denver reported that in Douglas County alone, property values are steeply declining at a rate of 9 percent!

To take action, first of all, we need to tell Douglas County to vote! We need to make people who live in DCSD aware of the circumstances and why they affect us. Second, we need to make sure the school board puts the levy on the ballot next year. Finally, we need to make the community aware. By not passing this ballot, everyone in DCSD needs to understand what road blocks we will face next year. Considering that we already have class sizes in the upper 30's, we will for sure have class sizes of 40 or more students per class, and a cut of at least seven teachers. Relating to Ranch View, this puts about thirty to forty more students in a pod, with an ending result of 200 students occupying one single pod. DCSD needs to vote on this ballot to pass, so we can get the education, funding, and support we need. We are the future!

Hayley Stromberg Student, Ranch View Middle School