Opinions

Stuyvesant students haven’t felt the pinch of the country’s recent economic slump—until now. The Department of Education recently decreased New York City public schools’ budgets by 1.75 percent—277,000 dollars for Stuyvesant. Stuyvesant found out about the cuts on January 31, after the spring term started.

To compensate for the loss, Academic Intervention Services (AIS) tutoring— academic assistance from teachers after school—was temporarily suspended at the beginning of the semester. It has since restarted, but will run less than 20 hours per week—down from 25 to 30 hours last term. This spring, the school may not be able to offer as many SAT II and Advanced Placement review sessions as it has in previous years.

To fill the void left by the decrease in AIS tutoring, two student-run organizations—Big Sibs and ARISTA—have offered to pick up the slack and increase their after-school tutoring. Cooperation with the administration in reserving rooms and connecting students with peer tutors will lead to a successful transition.

This tutoring reduction is just the beginning. Stuyvesant had expected a cut for the 2008-2009 academic year and was planning on rolling over almost half of the 277,000 dollars to next year’s budget. Unfortunately, the Department of Education has proposed budget cuts of an additional five percent—850,000 dollars for Stuyvesant—for next year. Without the money Stuyvesant had planned to roll over, further cuts will be devastating.

The administration will have to cut certain student services, but upholding the interests of the student body must be its first priority. Next semester, “depending on budget configuration, other maturations, you may not get one or both [of your elective choices]. You may get one. You may get two,” Principal Stanley Teitel said. Electives are an important part of Stuyvesant’s curriculum, and allow students to customize their high school experience. Keeping all of Stuyvesant’s electives should be a priority.

While the administration fights to hold on to the parts of Stuyvesant that make it special, parents should contribute as well. While the Parents’ Association (PA) is not allowed to pay for teachers’ salaries, it can assist with fixed expenses like supplies and maintenance.

Students understand that with the financial downturn, Stuyvesant cannot remain the same. When the administration decides what to cut, they should include students in the discussion to make the changes as painless as possible. The Keep the Promises Coalition, an educational advocacy group rallying against the recent budget cuts, has called on state and city leaders to “do whatever it takes to make sure budget cuts do not hurt children or core classroom services.” Let’s work together to do the same.