By Laura Rosenbaum, LPHS Hi Times writer

   Starting in January, the state of Indiana began imposing budget cuts on the monetary allowances it gave to schools across the state.

Laura Rosenbaum

Writer Laura Rosenbaum

   The money that started to drop off of monthly payments in January was part of Governor Daniels’ plan to cut $300 million for the 2010 school year. Because almost half of the state budget goes to education, Daniels claimed it was unavoidable that funding be cut again to keep the state from having a deficit in 2011.

   Already under the stress of last year’s budget cuts, schools throughout Indiana must now cope with an even tighter budget belt.

   While welcome word came at the March 16 school board meeting that LaPorte schools will apparently not face teacher layoffs, cuts in other areas cause concern.

   Teachers at LPHS have had to start buying their own ink, and departments are already running out of the few supplies they were able to purchase for the current year. While LaPorte will apparently not face closings like some schools within the state, teachers are wondering what additional budget cuts will mean.

   “Teachers are stressed,” said English Department head Mr. Fruth. “They don’t know what’s going to happen. How much money will be cut from budgets? How will teachers deal without supplies?”

   The State Board of Education met in December to come up with a list of suggestions for schools, which would hopefully help them avoid teacher layoffs and keep the cuts from affecting students as much as possible. These suggestions included a hiring and wage freeze for all school employees and the closure and sale of underutilized buildings.

   The question of supplies for the classrooms, the area most likely to affect students, however, is still up in the air locally.

   The LPHS English Department recently held a book sale to raise money for ink cartridges and copies of books that are used for the Tattered Pages Book Club.

   The Science Department has also been impacted by budget cuts. Reduced funding does not allow for replacement of worn out or broken equipment and affects the number of laboratory activities in which students are able to participate. The department was also unable to offer a course in AP physics due to lack of funds. Science Department head Mr. Lindeman worries that loss of resources due to budget cuts could ultimately lower test scores and students’ achievements in the classroom.

   The list goes on: The math Department has had to put off its purchase of new textbooks. The Foreign Language Department can no longer cover the costs of transporting exchange students to and from the airport or to local areas of interest. The Physical Education Department might have to limit equipment availability.

   And the art department, previously able to use book rental fees as well as an allotted budget to pay for supplies, must now make do with a budget smaller than the amount each student is charged to participate in the classes it offers.

   “We’ve seen cuts for years; that’s not new to the art department. But we’re already down to just the basic supplies. There isn’t much more we can cut out of our budget,” said art teacher Mrs. Long.

   While teacher layoffs will apparently be avoided because of the number of veteran teachers retiring, students must still deal with the loss of those seasoned teachers. As veteran teachers such as Mr. Fruth, Mrs. Olson and Mr. and Mrs. Frankinburger retire, the school is able to hire younger teachers and save money to put to other uses. However, fewer teachers will force class sizes to expand and students miss out on the knowledge and experience of the valuable teachers LPHS will lose next fall.

   Fruth said, “Education has been cutting fat for 10 to 15 years. Now we’re cutting muscle and nerves. How can an organism live with such damage?”

EDITOR’S NOTE: WNLP is proud to occasionally feature the work of LPHS journalism teacher Angela Saoud’s students.