The School Board has made many decisions at their meeting on April 4 that will have a large impact on the high school during the 2011/2012 school year. Due to declining enrollment and money received by the state, the budget needs to be reduced by $626,523 over the entire district. Clear Lake’s enrollment has dropped by one hundred students in the past two years and that means the school will receive less money.

Staff reduction is one way the Board planes on saving money. The cuts are based on seniority. Therefore, Mrs. Mary Jo Peterson and Mrs. Valerie Southgate, two new teachers will be eliminated. Mr. Seth Thompson is being reduced. Another teacher who will not be returning next year is Mrs. Kay Bacon who is retiring.

Two classes that will not be not be offered next year are Journalism and AP English due to the low participation. This cut leaves CLHS with no Advanced Placement opportunities for students. The French program is being phased out by not offering French I next year.

The results of these changes for students will be larger class sizes and more difficult scheduling conflicts.

“You can’t always get what you want, and students will have to make harder decisions on the classes they’ll take,” Mr. Jay Mathis said about the issue.

Another major chance that will take affect is that next year’s eighth graders will be having there classes in the high school building. This is due to the extensive remodeling project taking place in the Middle School. Mathis is planning on dealing with approximately one hundred extra people by shifting classrooms around and utilizing the computer labs. These eighth graders will continue to have gym, and lunch in the Middle School building.

All these changes must be finalized on April 30. Mathis would also like to remind the student body that, “The sky isn’t falling and school will be just fine next year.”