As the school year comes to a close, Terra Linda High School is bracing itself for the effects of district-wide budget cuts.

On campus, construction has been ongoing since the beginning of the year, with the old gym and pool being redone. Many students speculated that these renovations were the cause of the budget cuts. However, school construction is funded by bond measures passed by local voters, making it unrelated to the school’s general budget.

Rather, the school budget is largely dependent on attendance. Since the pandemic, student attendance has been steadily decreasing. This is an issue because “basically every time a student is absent for a day it costs us about $85,” said Mr. Agnew, teacher at Terra Linda High and president of the San Rafael Federation of Teachers. 

Another effect of the pandemic was that the school received additional funding to address its effects; the amount was a finite sum that has now been mostly spent. “It’s like if you get $100 for your birthday, so you decide [to] sign up for a bunch of streaming services,” Agnew explained. “When that $100 is gone, you either need to cancel those streaming services or find something else to spend less on.” 

Inflation is also partially responsible for the budget cuts. “Everything costs more. Fire insurance, electricity, health benefits,” noted Agnew. Teachers’ salaries have risen as well, so the school can no longer afford to keep all current teachers. 

As a result of these cuts, several subjects next year are unable to hold more than one class, including the popular elective, AP Psychology, which had over 90 sign ups. Many students can no longer take the class because it is only offered in one period. “I was really excited to take it [AP Psychology] my senior year,” junior Ame McCoy shared. “I was very sad to hear I couldn’t take it as I think it would be extremely helpful for my future career.”  

Furthermore, French language classes will no longer be offered at all at Terra Linda. The average class size next year will likely be 30 students on average to accommodate for the lower number of teachers. Already, the changes caused by the budget cuts have become more apparent, as students find themselves waitlisted or unable to take the classes they want next year. These changes will become more evident in the foreseeable future when students begin class again in the fall.