Many can see the changes occurring this new school year, but students are talking and hearing rumors of budget cuts happening this school year. There have been complaints about fewer busses and wondering what exactly that could mean. No matter what, students should have access to supplies and transportation. 

Governor Gavin Newsome cut the education budget due to California’s economy taking a hit as a whole. For this school year, the budget has been reduced by 30 percent. 

Money is distributed per department, teacher, and student. The department chair of science, Rachel Bahn, said that the science department budget has been reduced by half since 2019. Consequently, this limits the number of dissections and lab books the science department can provide for students. 

Many students taking vet science classes believe that dissections are a class highlight. Copies of handouts and lab books for all departments are being limited due to these budgets. 

One cutback that is not caused by the budget is the reduction in the number of buses. In addition, the number of busses has been reduced from a roster of six pages of bus routes to only one and a half. This was initially blamed on budget cuts, however, it is due to the lack of bus drivers according to Principle Richard Nash. Finding drivers needs to be a priority.

Overall, the budget cuts enforced this year force teachers to make more cost-efficient decisions on what they provide for their students. Students need access to basic supplies and education should always be a priority regarding budgets.