Pony Express April 11, 2003 • Page 1 Where is Qatar anyway? Gas prices out of control… page 8 Warmer weather means heading …page 4 to the beach…page 12 Pony Express Volume 34, Number 7 • San Marin High School, Novato, California • April 11, 2003 County Districts Plan for Budget Cuts By Sean Johannessen and Amber Shields The past few months, Califor- for a few years). They have also clude the position of one associate hardest hit. Accounting, Yearbook, concern. For many students it nia school districts have been pre- sent notices of possible layoff/re- superintendent, one continuation Journalism, Psychology, Drama, seems hard to imagine that their paring for a worst-case scenario in assignment to 24 administrators school principal, one high school and Leadership are just a few of the brimming classrooms could be the budget crisis. The problem is and 15 classified employees. assistant principal, and reductions suggested reductions. The District packed with more students and that that districts must create a budget But they won’t be making in business and human resources has not finalized any of these pro- the students can be expected to for next year without knowing ex- any decisions on whether or not to departments. posed budget cuts and encourages learn in these claustrophobic envi- The District members of the public to express ronments. “Too many teacher cuts hopes that many their views at board meetings. They will increase already large class of these cuts can hope to work together with the sizes. Some of my classes are huge, be avoided if community to create the best pos- almost 40 people, and it is much Governor Gray sible solutions for this crisis. harder to learn in these classes than Davis’s pro- Novato parents, worried about in my English class, which has less posal to take the effects of lay-offs in the class- than 20 students,” comments fresh- away basic aid room, are in the beginning stages man Briana Van Epps. and property tax of forming a foundation to raise funding is aban- money for the district. The Novato doned, but they Foundation for Public Education Community are still looking hopes to develop a group to do copes for other ways significant, long-term fundraising to raise money. to support NUSD schools. Frank PTA’s and Howard Allen Realtors are work- As people begin to realize the school founda- ing on a letter writing campaign drastic realities of the budget cri- tions are joining asking Novato residents to make a sis, it falls on the students, parents, together to help donation to NUSD. They are also and community to help save their raise money, trying to organize a 5K/10K fun schools. While districts are urging while the Dis- run in fall of 2003 to raise funds. the community to write letters to trict is working Another group of parents is state legislators and Governor with the Public developing an Emergency Educa- Davis, they are also taking a local The Novato High mural Education tion Fund to keep programs and approach. Foundation to teachers from being cut next year. By working with community help fill the possible void. The They are going to ask for dona- members and foundations, they are actly how much money they will cut classes until they have the final District hopes that the community, tions from parents between April looking to make up for losses from receive from the state. Though sign ups for next year’s classes. All as in other times of crisis, will join and May in hopes that teachers and the state, and by voicing their opin- faced with the same problem, the final decisions will be made in an together and pull through this dif- specific programs can be saved. ion, parents and students are look- potential loss of millions of dollars attempt to reduce, not eliminate, ficult time. Many students are also wor- ing to keep what is important to from the school budget, each dis- district operations. ried about the proposed cuts. Fresh- them. Although each district is trict is dealing with the crisis in man Jessica Bousquette is afraid looking at the budget differently, Novato Unified they are all pulling together simi- their own way. Marin’s three dis- San Rafael High that, “If all our electives are taken tricts that include high schools— School District away, no one is going to want to larly. Only by working together Tam, San Rafael, and Novato— School District come to school here.” with the students, parents, teach- have all responded with different The possible lay-off of teach- ers, administrators, and commu- The Novato Unified School ways to cut, and save, the structure ers and an increase in already ex- nity can Marin hope to pull through San Rafael will have to make District is also planning for the of their district. tremely large classes is another this crisis intact. cutbacks of an estimated $2.2 mil- worst. lion, 15% of their current budget. Of a faculty of 474, NUSD Tamalpais San Rafael is trying to maintain its presented 145 certificated employ- standard of excellence by making ees, including teachers, principals, Union High cuts as far away from the class- vice principals, and district office School District room as possible. administrators, with lay-off notices They began at the district level on March 15. The Board also has by not replacing people vacating the option of cutting back the clas- In February, the Tamalpais their positions whenever possible. sified staff because they are only Union High School District Board They have already saved money entitled to thirty days’ notice. reviewed budget reductions total- by not re-hiring an associate su- Possible program reductions, ing $4.34 million. They then came perintendent and a high school prin- also created using a worst case up with proposed cuts that would cipal, who left earlier this year. scenario, also threaten to make cut- help retain the structure of their The Board is pulling together backs at San Marin and other district by reducing the scope and to save as many programs as they Novato schools. The Board was scale of programs, not eliminating can and have come up with pos- forced to consider program reduc- them. sible solutions, like sharing teach- tions in so many different areas so The District issued termina- ers between the two high schools. that they will have the flexibility tion notices to 26 temporary teach- Still, the board was forced to needed to respond to the amount of ers and possible layoff notices to send pink slips to 21 full-time money, and stipulations for spend- 30 probationary teachers (those equivalents and 12 classified posi- ing; they receive from the State. A San Rafael hallway; SRHS is one of many Marin County who have only been at the district tions. Cuts in the district may in- High school electives may be the schools anticipating cuts. Pony Express OPINIONSOPINIONS April 11, 2003 • Page 2 Pony Express NEWSNEWS April 11, 2003 • Page 3 Question of the issue Seniors weigh their options What do you think of the situation in Iraq? Will our efforts there make College Acceptances Arrive the world a better place? By Katie Winsor Stephanie Alderson University of Illinois, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara Nicole Allen Sonoma State Lisa Bandner Dominican University, University of San Francisco Jared Barilleaux Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Brooke Barnecut Chico State, Arizona State The beloved SM hill, once preserved for the seniors, is now a target of Venetta Barzakov Arizona State, Long Beach State, San Diego State underclass vandalism Susan Beresford Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, UC Santa Barbara Ariel Brown University of Puget Sound, UC Irvine, UC Davis, UCLA, Mt. Holyoke “No, we should endeavor to find “If I have to drive behind one more Zoe Brown University of Puget Sound, UC Irvine, UC Davis, UCLA, Mt. Holyoke ’05 vs. ’03 peaceful solutions to all the person with a “NO WAR ON Dan Byers UC Irvine, UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis world’s problems.” Katie IRAQ” bumper sticker, I’m going Morgan Cain Fresno State, Sacramento State The Battle for the Hill Arcidiacono, sophomore to lose it!” Andrew Banakus, se- Andrina Carlsen Stanislaus State University, UC Davis, UC San Diego, UC Berkeley By Bridget O’Connor nior Gina Cipollina San Francisco State, Sonoma State, Chico State, Hunter College Chalking the hill has been a iors, but it was soon forgotten. Zach Craig University of the Pacific, San Francisco State, University of Nevada Reno, long-standing tradition since the However, the current situa- Sonoma State creation of San Marin. It is the tion at San Marin over the hill is Marianne Donovan Humboldt State, Sonoma State, San Jose State, Fresno State seniors’ privilege to chalk the hill, quite different. It is a battle within Annie Drummond-Hay University of Oregon, UC Santa Cruz, Arizona State, University of Arizona, displaying to San Marin and the our school, and it is not between U.S. Marines escort captured enemy prisoners of war to a holding area in the desert of Iraq. University of Colorado, Boulder, Long Beach State, San Diego State community the year they will seniors and freshmen, or juniors Courtesy of defenselink.mil Erik Egide Chico State, St. Mary’s, Sacramento State, Redlands, Humboldt State graduate. The key to the tradition or seniors. It’s a battle between the Craig Fellers Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo By Logan Bartling is that seniors chalk the hill, not classes of 2005 and 2003. Jade Fielding San Francisco State sophomores.