Lakeside Principal: Budget Cuts Lead to Cramped Classes
The school is serving an increased student body with 10 fewer staff members than last year, the principal said this week.
We've written a little bit this year about how budget cuts have made their way down to our schools in the North Druid Hills-Briarcliff area.
Well, we just got another clear indicator from Lakeside High School on Monday.
From a statement by Principal Joe Reed to the PTSA:
All of us who watched and read the news this summer knew that class sizes would be bigger than in past years. None of us bargained for the sizes that some of our classes have reached - and it could have been worse had we not chosen to start the year with three substitute teachers as we awaited a fully certified teacher. Part of the increase in class sizes is attributed to the increase in our student population from 1830 to over 1940 students. This is not the result of out of attendance area students. Rather, it may be a combination of too many students taking five years to graduate and the favorable reputation many newcomers and real estate agents have of Lakeside.
At this point we are serving an increased student body with ten fewer staff members than last year. We have been approved for the three teachers for the classes currently served by substitutes in the areas of art, science and social studies. The art teacher, Ms. Jelks, has arrived and will start her first full day at Lakeside Monday. We will be posting the other two positions on PATS and will have to interview for those teaching slots. As Mr. Clyne continues to maximize our staff, student schedules may be changed. We will also be requesting additional staffing as the needs arise.
We appreciate the patience of our students, teachers and parents as we work to make ends meet during this very difficult financial situation.
Here's a few other budget cut issues in our community:
- Henderson Middle Needs Grandparents to Volunteer After Budget Cuts
- Henderson Middle 'Desperate' for Spanish-Speaking Volunteers
- DeKalb School Budget Approved
- DeKalb Schools Budget Cuts: What’s on Tap
What do you think of the budget cuts? Are they too steep or are they necessary? Tell us in the comments section below.
Brett
10:43 am on Wednesday, September 12, 2012
I find this to be extremely annoying. I live around the corner from Lakeside and have been paying taxes for many years. I finally have a kid attending the school, and he's been jerked out of overcrowded classes and into classes being taught by disinterested subs. Meanwhile, kids are being bused in to the overcrowded school from miles away. Some of them for their 5th year.
NN
11:35 am on Wednesday, September 12, 2012
I am one of those "disinterested" subs, and I can tell you I have been subbing at LHS for over ten years and I am an awesome teacher. Your child could do much worse!
William Baxter
11:14 am on Wednesday, September 12, 2012
still alot of waste at good old Lakeside There is ample teachers here and it is the Principal's job to get it done
Brett
2:28 pm on Wednesday, September 12, 2012
NN - if you are one of the subs that tells the kids to sit there and read from a book the entire period you are either disinterested or incompetent. If you're not, my comment didn't pertain to you as it wasn't an indictment against all substitute teachers.
Tom Doolittle
3:13 pm on Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Hoping we can get some #s on population here. We just added a building that took 8 years to get that was supposed to handle capacity at 1850. Did we really stop the out of zone influx by a more stringent address requirement? Are real estate agents really reporting new families locating here to attend Lakeside--or are newly located in overcrowded apartments causing "transiency" or "mobility" destabilization and so-called "dropout rate" increases? Just the facts please.