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Finalists say school budget cuts are eroding electives and career prep; candidates urge better student input
Summary
Several youth representative finalists told the Assembly recent budget reductions have cut electives and extracurriculars — including film and sports — and leave students less prepared for postsecondary life; candidates urged more student input in school decisions.
Multiple candidates used their introductions and answers to question public school budget impacts on electives, sports and career-preparation classes.
Lorelei Jones described sports and extracurricular cuts that she said remove opportunities for students who rely on those programs for social support: "Someone called in saying, like, hey. We there's a gun in in the girls' bathroom. Our school went on lockdown," she said when illustrating safety and community concerns tied to school experience. Several candidates (Malachi, Brooke Peng and Rakeek Ali) said popular electives—including film and language-immersion classes—were curtailed or threatened by budget actions; Rebecca McCullough and others cited teacher departures in some programs.
Candidates proposed remedies such as reinstating student representation on school boards, conducting regular student surveys to surface priorities, and improving communication about how and why cuts are made. Brooke Peng criticized counseling that focuses narrowly on graduation requirements rather than life and career readiness, and Lorelei urged more curricular support for practical life skills. No binding commitments or budget allocations were made during the session.
Why this matters: students told the Assembly that cuts to classes and extracurricular programs have immediate effects on engagement and skills development, and they asked for mechanisms that give youth more voice in decisions that shape their education.
