Stacy Black, Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers building representative, and other teachers at Amesti school rally against budget cuts early Wednesday morning.

The Board of Trustees of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District on Wednesday agreed to keep class sizes small for kindergarten through third grade, and to keep libraries open in middle and high schools.

But elementary school library technicians will be eliminated, and if predictions from school officials are accurate, this will result in the closure of libraries for the district’s younger students.

Additionally, three nursing positions were eliminated, as were music and counseling positions.

The loss of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s nurses came on the same day state superintendent of public instruction Jack O’Connell announced Wednesday was National School Nurse Day.

To be able to keep the smaller class sizes, high school sports were cut by 25 percent, adding to middle school sports programs, which had already been cut by 50 percent.

It was unclear Wednesday just how the high school athletic programs would be affected by the cut.

Solano Summit Academy also lost much of its funding, which will result in severe restructuring of the alternative school, and could very well mean closure of the school, according to interim superintendent Mary Anne Mays.

The music programs, elementary school libraries and nurses were cut even after dozens of community members spoke in support of keeping the programs.

“Libraries are the heart of our schools, and the person responsible for keeping this heart beating is our library tech,” said Michael Jones, principal of Alianza Charter School. “What we would do without the library I can’t begin to imagine.”

Also eliminated were prep-time teachers, who gives fourth- through sixth-grade teachers 150 minutes per week for preparing lessons and grading.

The board was trying to make nearly $8 million in sweeping cuts to the district in an attempt to balance a budget that took a hit when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger slashed $4.8 billion from the state’s education coffers.

Trustee Doug Keegan expressed concern about cutting library technicians for elementary schools, while saving those in high schools and middle schools.

Nearly 200 teachers, nurses, librarians, parents and community members packed the boardroom of the PVUSD Room Wednesday, trying to save nearly 50 programs and positions that were facing the ax.

Scores of blue and gold helium balloons with the CSEA logo floated from chairs, and demonstrators outside the room held protest signs against the window, virtually blocking the light, while the audience spilled into the hallway and outside.

Several students addressed the board to ask it to try to keep libraries, music and other programs.

“I think it would not be fair to do this to all children,” said Carla Hernandez, a middle school student who nervously came to the front of the room to ask the board not to close the district’s libraries. “… what is inside all these books will stay with you for the rest of your life.”

Throughout the month, groups of parents, teachers and community activists have been staging protests about the proposed cuts. On Monday and Tuesday afternoon, dozens of teachers took to the streets with protest signs trying to drum up support for the teachers.

If the board is able to come up with any more funds, it will consider bringing back nurses, elementary school library techs, and reinstating funding to high school and middle school athletics and music programs. However, the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers has been unable in ongoing negotiations to agree on changes that would help raise the needed funding.

“From the tone and the anguish at this table, it’s clear how hard this is,” said Mays after the 4-3 vote in favor of the budget.

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*Photos by Francisco Rodriguez*

(Published in 5/8/08 edition)

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