SHOREWOOD HIGH IN THE NEWS

Something is up at Shorewood Hight School in Shorline, Washington.

The following report is from KOMO in Seattle, Washington.

Shoreline Students Walk Out In Protest

SHORELINE - Students in Shoreline walked out Tuesday morning, protesting budget cuts that could mean layoffs for teachers and staff.

About 300 students from Shorewood High School wrote letters telling the school board and administrators what they want and hand delivered them to them.

The Shoreline School District is $5 million over budget after hired consultants found the district estimated they had 3,500 vocational students, but turns out they only had 700.

More students meant more money, so the district thought it had millions more than it actually did.

Some 45 teaching jobs, nurses, security, and the students' beloved activity coordinator Larry Stewart's job are on the line to make up for that mistake, and students don't think they should pay.

"We want to make sure that the board knows that the things that are important to us are being heard," said student Chase Parker.

"Teachers shouldn't be cut," added student Sabrina Boyle. "And administrators need to see that three superintendents is absurd. $160,000 a year could pay for two teaching jobs, not just one superintendent job."

Police made sure that students were safe during that about three-mile round trip walk. And when they returned to school, some teachers clapped. They said had they didn't help organize but they agree with the students' stand.

The district controller and the director of budget and accounting resigned after those mistakes, and the superintendent is on paid administrative leave but some administrators say he should go too.

"I am scared of the jobs of my instructional assistants that I need to make a good program," said Shorewood High School teacher Veronica Cook. "I'm also scared for the other teachers in this building that are going to have classes close to 40.

"Well, we still are keeping a superintendent, associate superintendent, and assistant superintendent positions. I'm sorry, we have a superintendent that makes a whole lot of money. no matter what happens, he was responsible."

The district says right now they are looking into all options of what to do to try and save money for next year, including charging to play sports. But as it stands right now, they're going to hold more school board meetings to figure out how to handle the mess.