Jordan's money woes in spotlight

WEST JORDAN — Theater is usually 18-year-old Erica Spencer's favorite subject, but Thursday during stage tech at West Jordan High, she couldn't keep her eyes off the clock: 8:27 … 8:28 … 8:29.

As soon as the minute hand hit 30, Spencer was up and headed for the door. Nearly a thousand students at West Jordan High, Copper Hills High, Riverton High and West Hills Middle School joined her.

Their mission: to protest Jordan School District's plan to lay off 250 teachers in an attempt to dig its way out of $30 million in deficit.

"People think, because we're kids, we don't know what's going on," Spencer said. "We do. We know they're laying off teachers, we know they're increasing class sizes and we know we're upset."

Hundreds of students, holding signs with slogans like "You cut teachers. We cut classes" and "Could you fit us all in one classroom?" rallied in front of Copper Hills and Riverton high schools. Hundreds more piled into cars and stormed the district offices.

"Students have voices!" they chanted. "Save our teachers!"

Jordan School District, which blames its deficit on the recession, state budget cuts and its 2009 split from Canyons District, will not finalize financial plans for 2011 until after the legislative session. After listening to public input this week from teachers, parents and students, the school board will spend the next few weeks taking a hard look at budget cut options.

"We have to really consider what is best for our students," said Jordan School Board member Rick Bojak after meeting with some teens from West Jordan High Thursday. "The kids are No. 1."

Student worries center on how money problems will affect their future. If the district lets 250 teachers go, class sizes will go up an average of four students.

On paper, Jordan School District has a 22-to-1 student-teacher ratio in elementary school and a 27-to-1 student-teacher ratio in high school. In practice, though, students at Copper Hills and West Jordan high schools said, in core classes like English and math, teachers have to manage 35 to 40 students. During the first few weeks of school at West Jordan High, most classes were so stuffed students had to share seats or sit on the floor, said Mandie Lucas, a 17-year-old senior.

Under the current plan, high school teachers would also be required to give up preparation periods to help mitigate class size increases. Students fear overburdened teachers, trying to cut down correcting time, will assign less homework.

"We don't like homework, but we know it's good for us," Lucas said.

Administrators, who caught wind of the protest late Wednesday, pled with students to stay in class and look for alternative ways to share their opinions.