The Bayfield School District held a workshop on March 9 to convince themselves that radical budget cuts are necessary to sustain learning in the district. Budget cuts include: transportation, health aides, technology, elementary teaching, paraprofessionals, math, maintenance, and educational materials. This information is on the district website.
The justification was repeatedly stated that Bayfield schools have seen a 6% decrease in student population, thus an equivalent decrease in faculty is justified. Thank goodness this logic is not taught in math class. Imagine if there are 90 less students. We’d have no teachers.
Meanwhile the District Superintendent Kevin Aten, deems it necessary to create a brand new assistant superintendent position starting at nearly $100,000 per year. This is a position that never existed before, one that has zero direct contact or daily influence with students.
Yet “Doctor Aten,” as he insists on being addressed, demands that this assistance is needed ... for him. He needs help with actual school district duties because he is commonly unavailable due to ... you name it, he has an excuse. That assistant superintendent position is the equivalent of five aides or paraprofessionals, which are the people who actually make a difference in our kids’ lives – not the politically motivated spewers of word salad that insist on being called “Doctor” for their own vanity.
Tyler GeneBayfield
