STARKVILLE — Budget cuts are making many people in the Starkville School District ask questions about the future of gifted programs in the public schools, and there”s not a lot of answers available.
At the April 6 board meeting, the Starkville School District renewed contracts for all the certified staff, which means teachers and administrators were rehired for the coming school year. However, this action did not decide the fate of various programs.
Parents of children in the VIVA Art and Drama programs, part of the gifted programs offered through the public schools, received a letter this week encouraging them to voice their concerns about the future of the programs to Superintendent Judy Couey. Kathleen C. Olivieri, parent of a VIVA student, distributed the letter.
“These programs are not mandated by the state and therefore are vulnerable in this economic climate,” Olivieri states of the VIVA programs.
She said that “a current VIVA teacher was reassigned to regular art classes at the 5th and 2nd grade for the 2010 – 2011 school year,” “indicating the program may already be cut.” She also said that the school district “is not holding tryouts for VIVA Art and VIVA Drama during the spring semester which is the time frame in which tryouts are held in the SSD.”
Couey gave a written response, available on StarkvilleNow.com.
“We have no idea about the funding that will be in the state budget for gifted programs,” Couey said. “We have made a commitment to all our licensed teachers that they will have a contract. That funding information may come as late as June. Every district in the state will have to wait until then to determine how those teaching units can be used if the programs are not funded.”
The topic was under discussion Thursday night at Cafe” de L” Art, the VIVA Art and VIVA Drama showcase held at the Greensboro Center.
Charles Campbell, a Cafe” de L” Art visitor, said the arts should not be considered extras in schools.
Studies of economic development issues show having school programs in the arts “is incredibly important in attracting the right kind of employers,” he said.
Anastasia Elder was at the program with her son Nick, 14, who had pieces of art on display.
“Lots of people feel a well-rounded education is a goal for our children,” she said.
“I know money is tight, but it is a matter of priority — what”s staying and what”s going,” Elder later added. “Maybe there are other things to cut than art programs for kids.”
Her son suggested one solution.
“Maybe they can keep the program but cut what you do,” Nick said, referring to expensive art projects such as making a batik, which is a textile dyeing technique.
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