Shortchanging our schools
BY ANNE BRIDGMAN
Children in Poverty
Education suffers when kids are hungry, stressed
ugene public schools have been hit hard
by budget cuts. Since the 2008 fi nancial
crisis began, as state funds and other
revenues have shrunk, 4J has made more than
$32 million in budget cuts and spent nearly
$37 million in reserves. Students from kindergarten
through high school have felt the results, but for
many, it’s diffi cult to conceptualize what such
continuous loss in school budgets means.
There’s plenty of anecdotal evidence — stu-
dents assigned to windowsills because class-
rooms are so crowded that they can’t fi t enough
desks, foreign language classes disappearing,
programs for at-risk kids being eliminated or
drastically reduced. To supplement that evidence,
it makes sense to compare our current schools
with our schools of past years. To that end, Eu-
gene Weekly is inaugurating this column to draw
attention to the cuts in 4J (with a more limited
focus on Bethel and Springfi eld), compare cur-
rent spending to that of past school years, and
highlight innovative programs that attempt to fi ll
some gaps.
E
When looking at how our public schools have
changed over the years, perhaps what’s most
striking is the number of students in 4J who are
poor. Just 15 years ago, 22.6 percent of 4J stu-
dents qualifi ed for free or reduced-price lunches
— an indication of poverty level at home. Today,
the Oregon Department of Education puts that
number at 40.3 percent, close to double.
Of the almost 7,000 students
who qualify for these lunches,
the vast majority (almost
6,000) come from families so
poor that they qualify for free
lunches.
Janet Huntsman* is one such
student. She attends middle
school, gets a free lunch every
school day, and goes home to a
family that’s food insecure, mean-
ing that she isn’t always sure where
her next meal is coming from.
In 2009, Oregon ranked number one
for childhood hunger, according to the nonprofi t
Feeding America; almost a third of our state’s
children have inadequate access to food. Food
insecurity is more common than most of us
imagine: More than a fi fth of all American homes
with children experience it.
When most of us picture hungry children, we
envision Third World countries. But in reality, it
happens right here in Eugene. What does that
mean for our schools?
Life for kids like Janet is stressful. They’re
more likely to be depressed and anxious and
have behavior problems. And they’re more likely
to struggle academically. In a recent national
survey of 1,000 public school teachers by Share
Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign, three
of fi ve teachers said students regularly come
to school hungry because they’re not getting
enough food at home. And according to a
recent analysis from Stanford Univer-
sity, the achievement gap between
rich and poor has grown steadily
over the last half century.
A few programs in our schools
help fi ll some of the gaps but
are limited by funding realities.
BEST, an after-school program
that operates at four of 4J’s
poorest schools, provides
academics and enrichment four
days a week for students at
risk of failing academically. This
program, which was threatened
because the grant supporting it is
winding down, was saved by an ap-
propriation by 4J of $60,000, allowing
it to serve 120 more children.
AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determina-
tion), a 4th- through 12th-grade program that helps
prepare kids for college eligibility and has been
shown to narrow the achievement gap, is being
expanded this year and will enroll 400 students.
In the coming months, this column will focus
on how budget cuts affect children like Janet.
Where innovative programs exist, it will highlight
them. By shining a light on these issues, it’s
hoped that the community of Eugene comes to
understand better how continued cuts short-
change our students.
* Janet’s name has been changed to protect
her privacy.
Anne Bridgman is a freelance writer and editor and an advocate
for public schools and children in poverty. She lives with her
husband and daughter in Eugene. To share ideas or stories about
how the budget cuts in Eugene have affected your school or child,
email Anne at shortchangingourschools@gmail.com
Life
OF THE
M IND
I N S I G H T
U N I V E R S I T Y
S E M I N A R S
O F
O R E G O N
Fall 2012
What Is Peace?
Professor Cheyney Ryan (Philosophy, Law)
Saturday, September 29 (10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.)
Browsing Room, 106 Knight Library, 1501 Kincaid Street
Professor Cheyney Ryan will lead a one day discussion on conflict resolution, non-violence,
and peace. Ryan is the founder of UO’s Peace Studies Program, teaches in the UO Law
School’s Conflict and Dispute Resolution Program, and is a fellow at Oxford University’s
Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict. (Lunch and book included). Cost: $45
The Swerve: How The World Became Modern
Professor Jim Earl (English)
Saturdays, October 6, 13, 20, and 27 (9:30 a.m.–noon)
Browsing Room, 106 Knight Library, 1501 Kincaid Street
Shakespeare scholar Stephen Greenblatt’s award-winning new book tells of the discovery
and impact of the Roman poet Lucretius’s great poem, On the Nature of Things. The seminar
will read Lucretius and Greenblatt for a stimulating roller-coaster-ride through ancient,
medieval, Renaissance and modern history and ideas. Cost: $99
The Friendship: Wordsworth And Coleridge
Professor Jim Earl (English)
Saturdays, November 3, 10, 17, and December 1 (9:30 a.m.–noon)
Browsing Room, 106 Knight Library, 1501 Kincaid Street
Alan Sisman’s new book by this title tells how two English university students reacted to
the French Revolution by inventing a new kind of poetry to improve mankind. Focusing on
Nature, Feeling, and Imagination rather than reason and ideas, the two poets founded the
Romantic movement in England and changed the world. The seminar will read Sisman’s
book along with the poems. Cost: $99
To register, call 541-346-1889, or online at:
libweb.uoregon.edu/administration/insight.html
EO/AA/ADA institution committed to cultural diversity. © 2012 University of Oregon DES 052ac
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EUGENE WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 20, 2012
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