| CURRENT EVENTS |
the MIRROR
NEWS
IN BRIEF
FALL 2023 | 3 THE MIRROR | KIMBERLY PEREZ
DOWN ON DOUGH The school is struggling to make ends meet after losing almost 20 percent of last school year’s budget. Extracurricular activities and core programs might need to be scaled back due to this enormous cut.
COFFEE WITH THE PRINCIPAL | Prin-
cipal Lourdes De Santiago will be hosting a meeting on Nov. 9 in the Parent Center from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. This meeting is an opportunity for any student and parent to discuss campus issues with the principal and learn more about the school. Questions, concerns and suggestions about our magnet programs or just campus life in general are highly appreciated and welcome. Parents and pupils are encouraged to attend. Coffee will be provided. This is a chance to have informative conversations with Principal De Santiago.
OPEN HOUSE | In an effort to increase
enrollment in our school for the next year, on Nov. 2 a Magnet Open House will be taking place in the Big Gym. This event is meant to introduce parents and potential new students to what the school is all about, as well as to get them excited about what our school has to offer. The STEM, Performing Arts and Medical Magnets will be showcased and promoted. There will be stations focusing on each program. Though it has not been detailed what the school has planned, the staff are determined to make this a fun and exciting experience for potential students and their families.
BLOOD DRIVE | The school is hosting
a blood drive in the Small Gym on Nov. 14. Students 16 years of age and older can volunteer to donate blood by signing up using the QR code on Schoology. This year, students have to meet certain weight requirements depending on their height in order to donate. If the student volunteer is under 18, they also have to get a consent form signed by their parents. If you are eligible, it is highly encouraged that you donate blood for those in need.
MAGNET TOURS | The last days for
Magnet Tours are Nov. 8 at 8:30 a.m. and Nov. 14 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. These tours provide parents and potential students with a great opportunity to learn more about the community. They introduce students to the school’s campus, classes and extracurriculars. These Magnet Tours sometimes involve visiting classrooms where possible students and parents can see the environment in which they are going to be learning. If any of these Magnet Tours visit your classroom, be sure to act completely normal.
FINALS WEEK | The schedule for finals week will be in block period format. Finals for periods one and four will take place on Dec. 13, periods two and five will take place on Dec. 14 and periods three and six will be on Dec. 15. On these days, the first exam will be from 8:30 to 10:34 a.m. and the second will take place from 11:10 a.m. to 1:13 p.m. With the end of the semester rapidly approaching, students must prepare for the home stretch. Though the holidays might be late, these finals certainly won’t be. With the long-awaited winter break coming soon after, students are encouraged to try their best on these exams and finish the semester strong.
SCHOLARSHIP SEMIFINALIST | Se-
nior Tyler Chiu was named a semifinalist in the extremely selective Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation scholarship. He was selected from over 103,800 applicants, of whom only 150 will win $20,000. The school’s staff is beyond proud of his achievement and believe Chiu’s accomplishment serves as an example that dedication and effort can lead to amazing results, and should inspire fellow students to go above and beyond. All students are encouraged to see their counselors to apply for scholarships that can boost academic success and allow for greater opportunities when pursuing a post-secondary education.
Budget cuts reduce school funding by MILLIONS BY MIA RAMIREZ
T
THE MIRROR STAFF
his school year, the school is down $4 million in funding from the district. In the 2022-23 school year, the school had $26,609,880 available in the budget. For the 2023-24 school year, there is only $21,809,846 available. This reduction in funds is due to the discontinuation of the per-pupil program and covid-19 relief programs, which, according to the school Budget Availability Report, paid for some staff member’s salaries, substitute teacher salaries, office supplies and other general supplies for classrooms. The per-pupil and covid-19 relief programs were outside of the general budget. Therefore, the school had not needed to use general funds to pay for the things the programs covered. Now that funds from these portions of the budget are no longer available, the school has to rely on funds from the general budget. “Although concerning, we will always prioritize essential resources, such as necessary classroom materials, for our students when budgeting,” Title 1 Coordinator Ms. Milagro Medrano said. This is the first time that anything like this has happened to the school. “It is not really a budget cut like in the past,” Assistant Principal Mr. Marc Strassner said. “The school funds, programs and money are being taken back by various funding entities, some being redistributed, others simply ending.” Certain programs, yet to be determined, will be receiving a cut in funds or may be discontinued in order to accommodate the lack of funding. Those most likely to be
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Our goal is to always find ways to grow our program, and right now it just feels like we are taking so many steps backward that we are not moving forward.” Performing Arts Coordinator Ms. Fanny Arana
affected are clubs, sports and other extracurriculars. Funded school trips might also become a thing of the past. “We will have to be more mindful and say no to things that maybe aren’t as urgent,” Ms. Medrano said. Athletic Director Mr. Dion Coley says that the extreme budget cuts have yet to affect the Athletics Department. “Sports are funded by the athletics section of the budget and, as of now, that budget has not changed,” he said. “So far the cuts haven’t hit athletics yet, but I am sure it is coming. Many are still unsure as to which programs are experiencing budget cuts.” Performing Arts Coordinator Ms. Fanny Arana says that the Performing Arts programs have faced a large cutback in funds. As of now, the program is no longer able to fund choreographers, costume designers, carpenters and light technicians for school productions. “Some of the basic foundations of the Performing Arts program is bringing in outside vendors to support and assist in our
productions, and we now no longer have the money to do it,” Ms. Arana said. In addition to not having the funds for outside vendors, the Performing Arts Department no longer has sufficient funds to pay staff for the extra time they spend helping with practices and productions. “Multiple staff members used to get paid extra hours to supervise events, performances and rehearsals,” Ms. Arana said. “Now those staff members are working for free.” All of these setbacks caused by the budget cuts have left students and admin who are part of the Performing Arts Magnet exasperated. “Our goal is to always find ways to grow our program, and right now it just feels like we are taking so many steps backward that we are not moving forward,” Ms. Arana said. The magnet programs are facing consequences, as there will no longer be enough funds for administrators to attend magnet conferences. The school has some of the top magnets in the nation, and these conferences help teach admin how to grow the programs. “We have so many amazing programs at Van Nuys High School,” Ms. Arana said. “However, this year, a majority of them will no longer be able to happen. Though the budget cuts are disheartening, there are ways that the school can lessen the effects. Ms. Medrano explains that the household income forms can help the school gain more funding. This is why they have been persistently encouraging all students to fill them out. Mr. Strassner adds that sports teams and clubs can also help the school by fundraising on their own. This way, programs will not have to solely rely on the district for funds.
