SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - Budget cuts made by Utah lawmakers are now being felt by at-risk 8th grade students in Provo.
Instead of going to an alternative high school, they'll begin freshman year with nearly 2,000 other students.
The Provo School District had to cut $1 Million from their budget this year, and $4.5 Million in the next school year.
District officials say they’ve had to make some tough decisions.
To make up some of that money, the district is moving adult education, a young mother’s school and special education programs to Independence High School. The savings is $300,000.
"When you add adult education, young mothers and special ed. we needed 4-6 classrooms every period at the school, basically what the freshman were taking, “ said Greg Hudnall, Provo School District Spokesman.
So, next fall, at-risk freshman will not attend Independence High, which specializes in helping at-risk students succeed.
"I know students who have felt very much at home in a school that's very small, being in a high school where they know all of the adults, and the adults know practically all of the students. That is going to be lost,” said Taran Chun, Dixon Middle School Vice Principal.
Some students at Independence have failed classes or missed too much school, others have behavioral problems.
"Students who have severe safe school violations where we would have to keep them out of the mainstream setting for the safety of other students and in a more structured environment," said Chun.
Timpview and Provo high schools are gearing up to handle the one hundred students who fall into those two categories. Those who are behind in school will have a handful of teachers. Those with behavior issues will be separated by schedules.
"The school day will start later, and their school day will also end later, and they will have minimal to no contact with the 1900 other students at Provo High School," said Chun.
And while no one is entirely happy with the solution, Chun said it's just an indication of how the landscape of education is changing in these tough economic times.
Because of budget cuts, the Provo School District was also forced to layoff school nurses and social workers.
They have discontinued mentoring and advocacy programs, and they said more cuts will need to be made.
Hundall said they are doing their best to keep teachers in the classrooms and class sizes down so students can still get the best education possible.
