Students and teachers urge West Contra Costa board to reverse cuts at Kennedy High

Dozens of students, teachers and parents packed the public‑comment period of the West Contra Costa Unified School District board meeting on March 25 to demand the district preserve programs and jobs at John F. Kennedy High School.

Speakers repeatedly named ethnic studies, Spanish‑for‑Spanish‑speakers, career and technical education pathways and band as programs slated for reductions that would disproportionately affect Latina teachers and the school’s students. “These programs are essential for students at Kennedy because they allow us to thrive,” said Elias Abalos, senior class president, asking the board to “let us thrive.”

Teachers described the immediate consequences they say the cuts would create. “When you reduce positions before you know what state funding will be, you are creating inequitable situations for our school sites,” said Mitzi Perez Carl, a career technical education teacher and second‑generation district alum. Several speakers urged the board to prioritize teacher retention, citing unpaid overtime, partial assignments and the loss of homegrown staff who know students and communities.

Speakers also raised budget and transparency concerns. Don Gosney questioned contract practices and how large bond and consultant spending aligns with personnel decisions, saying previous investigations stalled and community questions remain unanswered. “Sometimes silence is a bad thing,” he said.

Teachers and students cited research and local experience to argue that targeted programs improve attendance, grades and graduation rates. Christian Vigil, a Kennedy teacher, told the board ethnic studies improves attendance and graduation and “these cuts affect our students of color.” Several students urged the board to meet them and attend school events; multiple speakers invited trustees to Kennedy’s spring carnival and student government meetings.

District staff and board members responded during agenda discussion by saying they are working through staffing reductions as part of a fiscal‑solvency plan and that some program decisions are driven by course‑scheduling constraints rather than board direction. The district’s presentation acknowledged steep budget pressures and said proposals aimed to meet a $1.1 million reduction target among certain management positions.

The public comment period ran about an hour; trustees and staff said they will continue to review program placement, scheduling options and possible mitigations as the budget process continues. Several speakers asked for clearer communication and faster responses to constituent emails and requests for data.

The board took no immediate public vote on program cuts during the meeting; staff said details on final staffing allocations and course scheduling will be discussed in upcoming meetings and communications.