Furlough? How About Fur-NO

Cut-backs, and lay-offs, and furloughs? Oh, my! Early last month, protests regarding the recent cutbacks in our district took place. The bright side? It may have actually worked. The bad news? It probably means taking out a couple of days from the school year (some people may think this is a glorious thing, but once you think about it, it really isn’t).

THE PRO’S OF FURLOUGH

It was said that one of the things included in the long list of cut-backs were counselors. Due to the state’s ongoing economic crisis, $60.5 million will be required to be cut from the district’s budget for the 2010-11 school year. It just so happened that counselors were one of the things deemed unnecessary for a school to function. Luckily, after the math was done, the 29 counseling positions that were set to be cut will be saved for another school year if two days are cut from the present school year at each of the Elk Grove Unified schools, both primary and secondary education schools. So, we get to keep the counselors, and even get a couple of days off to celebrate it. Win-win? I think not (though I will admit that the two days off will be pretty sweet).

THE CON’S OF FURLOUGH

Though the two furlough days this school year will indeed help keep our counselors for another year, it will still require the district to cut $60.5 million from the budget. So say goodbye to sports, several of your favorite teachers, librarians, and fun electives (as if you didn’t already know). Teachers will also be forced to shorten lesson plans, or remove lessons completely from their carefully planned schooldays. If you ask me, this won’t be helping the decline in education (but we’ll save that for another article).

So what is left to do during this downward spiraling economy? For now, all we can do is hope and pray that the budget comes together and will eventually get to keep our favorite things at school. Make the best out of the rest of the school year while we still have everything we’ve got. While you’re at it, enjoy a movie or a cup of coffee at the local Starbucks (because they’re oh so hard to find) on April 30 and May 14 as you mark off the final days of the school year. We dodged a bullet this time. Just barely.