Fairfield students walk out

About 100 protest $3.8M in proposed cuts that would alter schedules, reduce staff.

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By Lindsey Hilty, Staff Writer Updated 11:50 AM Monday, March 15, 2010

FAIRFIELD — A group of Fairfield High School students walked out of class Friday, March 12, in protest of planned cuts to the block schedule.

Principal Billy Smith said about 100 students walked out to the school courtyard at about 8:45 a.m. between first and second period.

“I went out and I talked to the students that were outside on the plaza and explained to them we would like all of them to return,” he said. “They had to make a choice.”

Most immediately returned to class, he said, with some of the students choosing to return at a later point in the day.

“It was a very small percentage who walked out and left campus,” he said. According to the Ohio Department of Education, building enrollment is about 2,400 students. Those who returned to class were not punished; however, those who left face discipline according to the school policy for skipping class, Smith said.

Students had been talking about protesting the administration’s recommendation to go to a seven period bell schedule since the board meeting last week when the administration proposed $3.8 million in permanent cuts to programming and staff. The Board of Education is expected to vote on the cuts March 18.

At least two Facebook.com groups were formed to organize various student protests, each with around 500 members. “We do have ideas for forms of protest and letter-writing campaigns,” organizers wrote. “We must not be violent or belligerent; we must be professional and passionate.”

Smith said he knew about the pages and warned students against a walk-out on the morning announcements.

“When you’re in a school as large as we have in the high school, those rumors that are out there always seem to make it up to the office,” he said.

The switch from block scheduling is projected to save more than $800,000 next year by cutting 20 teaching positions.

Smith said on Thursday he met with students to discuss the possible implications of the schedule change if it is approved by the board and also talked about positive ways to voice opinions.

The issues he said students were most concerned with were whether they would graduate on time, how their schedule next year would differ from what they had planned and how they would handle more classes at a time.

“Some of the students are asking for it to be delayed and for it not to happen at all,” Smith said. “If they had their druthers they would like to keep their same schedule.”

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