Won't Someone Please Think of The Children?

In less than a week, my sister will be graduating high school and I couldn’t be prouder and happier for her. She’ll be graduating from Thornwood High School, the same school I graduated from. It’s a good thing she’s leaving now, though. In the last primary, there was a referendum asking citizens of District 205 to approve a tax increase in order to help out the district’s budget woes. The budget woes are caused by the state’s budget woes...and you know the rest. Well, the referendum failed and now the district is making some cuts. Pretty big ones.

The district is cutting 119 teachers, secretaries, and paraprofessionals from its staff. They are freezing purchases on technology and reducing security services. The number of coaches is being cut in half from 166 to just 86. In addition, many sports are being combined and will have only District teams (as opposed to teams from individual schools). Extracurricular activities are also being heavily cut. Thornwood alone will lose the following:

• Choral Music


• Peer Leaders


• Video Club


• Fall Play


• Newspaper


• Chess Club


• Twirlers/Flag Corps


• Chess Club


• Performing Arts Club


• Spanish Club

That’s not everything being lost, but it’s a sad state of affairs. What’s the worst part about it? They have to cut MORE for the following year to balance their budget.