Parents/Students Concerned with Cuts to Summer School Programs

July 9, 2011 /

By Santos Reyes & Noely Resendiz

Some summer school programs for students in the Coachella Valley Unified School District have been terminated due to cuts caused by the loss of funds to public school districts throughout California. CVUSD, like most public school districts, has had to accommodate its budget due to the loss of state and local funding reduced by about $1,900 per student. With the cuts, CVUSD erased summer programs that were once offered to students, such as camp and interest classes. The summer programs that CVUSD schools currently offer concentrate on credit deficit high school students in risk of not graduating. Now, students have less activities to keep them busy during the summer. Other summer programs offered are either limited by students’ interests or have high costs associated with them. This lack of summer programs concerns some Coachella parents and students.

Ricardo Meza, 17, Coachella Valley High School

“Yes, I feel it’s a loss because I want to better my education but I can’t because of recent cuts.”

Lizbeth Meza, 14, Lives in Desert Shores

“I don’t do anything. I just take care of kids and do chores. I forget a lot of stuff during the summer.”

Karen Patlan, 16, Coachella

“Sometimes we go to the park and the gym or we stay at home. I think it would be great for the kids to have something to do during the summer.”

Griselda Duenas, Mecca, Mother

“Now, I have to pay for a babysitter while I can work. You pay for babysitting, food, rent, bills and nothing is left for you but you have to work.”

(Translated from Spanish)

Karina Lopez, 37, Coachella, Mother

“If they go to a program, they have to pay and parents can’t afford it.”

(Translated from Spanish)

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