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Belmont students and Dayton advocates tell Senate committee proposed cuts would hit AP, CCP, CTE and ESL programs
Summary
Students from Belmont schools and a group representing Dayton families warned the Senate Education Committee that budget proposals could force deep cuts to Advanced Placement, College Credit Plus, career technical education and English learner services in Dayton Public Schools.
Several Belmont Middle and High School students and Dayton community members told the Senate Education Committee that proposed budget changes threaten specific programs they called "lifelines" for Dayton students.
An eighth‑grader, Ivan Baraka of Belmont Middle School, told the committee the district's English‑learner population is substantial and that cuts to English as a second language (ESL) services would leave vulnerable students without essential language supports. "These students come from diverse backgrounds and often face additional challenges in learning…without proper language support, these students are at a significant disadvantage," Baraka said.
David Atkinson, a junior at Belmont High School, urged lawmakers to protect special‑education supports for students with disabilities and behavioral needs. "The resources that we have to support these children are needed in order to have them develop into functioning members of society," Atkinson said, warning that cuts could reduce services for students with blindness, deafness and other needs.
Earlier speakers from Belmont also warned that Advanced Placement (AP), College Credit Plus (CCP) and career technical education (CTE) programs were at risk if district funding were reduced. Testimony cited a news report (transcribed as "Dayton Veil News") and a Legislative Service Commission (LSC) analysis that Dayton Public Schools ended fiscal 2024 with roughly $139.2 million cash on hand—about 58.2% of its budget—and that the district could see more than $67 million reduced under the budget proposal as presented to the legislature. (The transcript reference used a name for the paper that appears to be a transcription error; the likely source is the Dayton Daily News.)
Committee members urged the students to also present their concerns to local school boards and noted that district boards will be central to planning if funding allocations change. No formal action was taken; the testimony was presented as public comment during the committee's budget hearing.
Speakers asked lawmakers to preserve funding for AP, CCP, CTE and ESL so that students have multiple post‑secondary and career pathways. The students emphasized that cuts to staffing and equipment would directly limit access to advanced coursework, college credit opportunities and vocational training.
