High school students in Richmond walked out of class Tuesday to protest proposed budget cuts.
At about 10:15 a.m., well over 100 students at John F. Kennedy High School gathered in front of the campus with a bullhorn and called on the school district to leave their teachers alone and not go through with millions of dollars in proposed cuts to the budget.
At a board meeting earlier this year, the West Contra Costa Unified School District heard a proposal to cut $7 million from its budget next year and another $6 million the following year. This would be on top of the $19 million already cut from this year's budget.
Like many districts in the Bay Area, West Contra Costa Unified is struggling with declining enrollment. The number of students attending the 54 schools in the district has dropped 8% over the past four years to just under 30,000 students, many of whom come from low-income families.
If the district doesn’t make cuts, it is at risk of burning through its budget reserves within three years and being placed under state receivership.
NBC Bay Area emailed district headquarters for comment but did not immediately hear back.
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