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Budget cuts rock Sonoma Charter School

Posted on May 26, 2010 by Sonoma Valley Sun

Sonoma Charter School is facing a $74,000 budget shortfall for the 2010-2011 school year and a number of fairly drastic cuts are being implemented to stem the tide of the loss. Included in the cuts … five days from their school calendar, technology classes, library technicians and drama and art being cut from two days each week to just one.

“We’ve been working with staff since February to prioritize what we can and can’t live without,” said Charter School Director, Paula Hunter. “No one could live with increasing class sizes so that wasn’t an area we looked to cut. But in cutting five days from our school calendar, everyone takes a hit, including me.”

Hunter went on to say the school’s reserves are in good shape but they, “can’t continue to dip into the reserves. We’ve put a plea out to our parents but the response has been pretty meager so far.”

Hunter said the next step is to appeal to alumni and the school’s founders or, find some community “angels” to step in and sponsor programs.

“We’ve always been able to fund things that other schools have had to cut out. We need to find a way to keep these programs in place,” said Hunter.




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