History of IDEA
Jeannie Oakes, Founder and Former Director
Youth Voice in School Finance
NEW REPORT: Los Angeles' road to A-G for all
Without Dollars and Sense Powerpoint
Past Educational Opportunity Reports
State budget cuts force larger class sizes throughout Ventura County
- 08-31-2010
-
By Cheri Carlson, Jean Cowden Moore/Ventura County Star
An environmental science class had 39 students. They sat squeezed elbow-to-elbow in their chairs. Three didn’t have seats. Across campus, 44 kids were in a French class. Their desks filled the room, blocking the teacher from reaching several of his students. It was the first day of school at Ventura High School amid a new era of budget cuts that have forced districts to fit more and more students into classes. Similar scenes are being played out at elementary, middle and high schools throughout Ventura County as students head back to class this month and next, officials say. “When do we say, ‘Enough is enough?’ ” said Trudy Tuttle Arriaga, superintendent of the Ventura Unified School District. Over the past two years, districts have lost hundreds of teachers, raised class sizes, slashed programs and shortened the school year in response to deep state funding cuts. (more…)
Print this
