Adrian Doan
\nThe Tower
\nGrosse Pointe South HS
\n1st Place
\nDivision 2, News Writing
\nNews Analysis<\/p>\n
The science department is struggling to find funding for its core classes in a thinly stretched budget, as the administration looks for permanent solutions.
\nThe budget of the science department remains unchanged from last year; however, according to Principal Moussa Hamka, the administration must work with teachers to increase funding or find outside help to make up for the additional cost of new science electives.
\n\u201cScience has been very innovative over the last couple years,\u201d Hamka said. \u201cThey have added new courses to meet the growing needs of students.\u201d
\nThe electives that lead to the cuts have been at South for a few years, but this is the first year that the department has found itself so far over budget, according to Hamka.
\n\u201cInitial startup costs are covered through the curriculum department when pilots are approved,\u201d Hamka said. \u201cBut as those courses transition out of the pilot series, the initial cost runs out, so the buildings pick up the ongoing cost and maintenance of the courses.\u201d
\nAll of the electives are now dependent on the science department, and with their cost combined with that of other electives and core classes, the department\u2019s projected expenses exceeded their budget, according to Hamka.
\n\u201cThere is a district committee called the EPLC (Education Programs Leadership Council), which reviews the curriculum and there is a process by which members vote,\u201d Hamka said. \u201cOne of the things we always talk about is sustainability, and every time we have developed new courses I have looked at our budget and have forecasted the costs.\u201d
\nPredicting the potential costs can be challenging, Hamka said.
\n\u201cIf students are taking organic chemistry, astronomy or forensics, they are not taking another course,\u201d Hamka said. \u201cIf you just accumulate the number of forensic science, the number of organic chemistry and the number of astronomy classes, you\u2019ll see in a given year between 10 and 15 classes, and that\u2019s 10 or 15 classes of another content area that aren\u2019t needed.\u201d
\nBecause of the new electives, biology teacher Shelly Rothenbuhler was forced to cut out dissections.
\n\u201cThe addition of all these nice electives that we have is a very good thing and I want to support, but that takes a toll on the finances,\u201d Rothenbuhler said. \u201cDissections are one of the higher priced items, so we had to cut them out.\u201d
\nThe problem has lead teachers such as Rothenbuhler to look for outside sources, such as Mothers\u2019 Club for funding, in an effort to ensure students can have an experience all their classes can offer.
\n\u201cI have indicated to the Biology teachers if we can\u2019t get funds to do dissections, I will work with them to find the funds elsewhere,\u201d Hamka said. \u201cBut I would like to look at a more long-term solution and that might mean increasing the science budget as we move on.\u201d
\nIncreasing the science department\u2019s budget would be no simple task as money may have to be taken from another program or department. The administration is hesitant to start a situation that pits departments and classes against each other for funding, according to Hamka.
\n\u201cOne of the things I\u2019ve tried really hard to do is to not make it us vs . them,\u201d Hamka said. \u201cTo not make it a core vs. a non-core. I do not want to pin one program against another.
\nHamka worries, if this happens, programs such as the choir or school musical could be pitted against core classes for funding.
\n\u201cI would look at the choir. I would look at our orchestra. I would look at The Tower. I would look at so many other things that are not classified as electives but really enhance the experience here at South,\u201d Hamka said. \u201cI don\u2019t look at it as an elective vs. a core. I look at it as they are both fueling student interest and they are both fueling student passions.\u201d
\nIn hope of preventing interdepartmental conflict, the administration is looking into other ways to save money that could go towards the science department. This may come in the form of increasing the self-sufficiency of revenue generating programs.
\n\u201cWe try to get programs that do generate revenue to be as self-sufficient as possible. Now that\u2019s a goal, we realize we can\u2019t cut our funding completely from them,\u201d Hamka said. \u201cBut again if they are able to raise money through ticket sales, or subscription or other means, then we do ask that they come as close to cost neutral as possible.\u201d
\nBesides looking at ways to save, it is also important to look at how spending for classes changes each year. Classes can have costs that do not recur every year, Hamka added.
\n\u201cI think what we do is look to allocate funds based on need, and certainly those needs shift based on the moment and also based on particular needs for that year,\u201d Hamka said.
\nStephen Kim, who teaches chemistry and the new elective forensics, supported the idea that the costs will reduce as the classes continue.
\n\u201cI think when you start off with these new classes, you are going to need the new supplies for them,\u201d Kim said. \u201cThe first year is always going to have a bigger budget for sure, and after that, you already have those supplies, so it doesn\u2019t really have a huge hit on the budget the following years.\u201d
\nOf course, there is always the option for the administration to cut out classes, and cutting out the new electives would certainly reduce the expenses. However, Hamka said the administration views this as a last resort.
\nThe electives have been popular among students, and despite being a primary cause of the trouble, the electives are still a worthwhile addition to the South curriculum, according to Hamka.
\n\u201cI think it all goes back to student needs,\u201d Hamka said. \u201cIf students weren\u2019t signing up for these classes we wouldn\u2019t have them. I think very few people would argue with these electives being amazing additions.\u201d
\nKim sees the interest of students in these electives first hand, as a teacher of both core and elective science classes he can see how the class sizes compare.
\n\u201cIn both my forensics classes, I have around 25 kids and in my chemistry classes I have anywhere from 26 to 30, so they are actually very similar,\u201d Kim said.
\nFor Hamka, one of the main incentives to keep these electives is innovation and adapting to changing needs.
\n\u201cWe are trying to keep our learning relevant in the 21st century,\u201d Hamka said. \u201cWe have the makerspace. We have 3D printers. We have these new innovative electives and a whole bunch of new technology. It\u2019s important to expose our kids to this.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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