Budget cuts. Last year showed the potential they had to cripple schools, and now we are seeing them come into action. At Empire High School we are seeing cuts in some of our most important areas, such as laptops. Just because we are a laptop school does not mean we get leeway.

Educators know by experience the struggles that our country’s schools have been having. Clubs have been cut, sports have lost funding, staff has been shortened while students have increased, and supplies are coming out of pockets and paychecks more than ever. Students, staff, parents and community members alike have now realized how important they are to school funding and have began donating more than ever.

Sadly, Empire’s 2009-2010 freshmen are the first year of students that don’t get new laptops. Our school can’t afford it. Freshmen get the previous graduating class’ four-year-old laptops. These computers, while functional, have several years of wear and tear, and do not function as optimally/well as a new laptop would, resulting in technical complications for students and staff. If the freshmen want a new computer like previous classes have received, they will have to buy the computer at its full price. Now that students own their products, it will make them thankful for the opportunity they have been given with the privilege of laptops. Nobody wants to break their own property, and now students value them more than they used to when they just viewed it as a tool that the school gave them. When students care for their learning materials they start to care more about their education.
 
Laptops aren’t the only thing that is coming from self-payment. Supplies such as paper, art supplies, and basic amenities such as tables and chairs, are being cut drastically and now need to be paid outside of the school’s budget. At Empire, numerous assignments are printed out every day and now the school can’t afford paper for printing. Starting this year, each student and staff member is given a balance. When that balance runs out, they have to start paying for paper by the sheet, which has never happened before. Each student gets a balance of two dollars while the staff gets twenty dollars. While it may seem like a hassle for some, for most, it shows how much teachers care about the education they are providing Students are now much more grateful for the lesson plans they are given. We now see just how dedicated the teachers and staff are to still provide a quality education in difficult times.

When the budget cut is looked at in its simplest of forms, it is extremely big. Seventy-five percent of the Vail School District’s budget has been cut. We have all heard our teachers say, “Don’t break that. The money for it comes out of my paycheck.” Now they have it even harder. If the economy doesn’t pick up soon, then funding for schools will sink even further, more schools will close and more students will need an education. Parents and community members alike now see that they must help our schools financially in order to help their families financially in the long run.

The best thing that comes out of a recession is that it opens up the people’s eyes. It takes troubling times to better appreciate what one has. Once the children’s educational opportunities drop, they will realize how much school provides. Hopefully, around the world, teachers and their curriculum alike will get the credit they deserve.

Spencer Taylor
Junior
Empire High School