GRANBY — About three dozen students, parents and educators gathered in front of the Granby Junior/Senior High School along Route 202 Thursday afternoon, chanting and hoisting signs in solidarity with staffers whose jobs would be eliminated by budget cuts.
Granby High junior Autumn Dewberry, 17, who organized a student walkout from school Monday, was among those who attended Thursday’s demonstration. She stood in the line of demonstrators woo-hooing as vehicles blasted their horns in support. Participants hoisted signs with messages including “Save our public schools” and “Teacher = future.”
“We started this up because these are some of our favorite teachers being cut,” Dewberry said. “We really just want to keep these people, and we believe there’s definitely another way that they can do this. There’s no need for this to happen.”
The budget will be decided when the annual Town Meeting resumes at 7 p.m. Monday at the school. A potential $800,000 shortfall for the School Department could eliminate the equivalent of 12.4 full-time jobs.
Those include an elementary school principal, at least five teachers and all of the coaches for middle school athletics. The fourth-grade music program would also be eliminated.
Currently, the School Committee’s proposed budget is $275,000 more than what the Finance Committee initially recommended.
Students, parents and educators have said a message needs to be sent to lawmakers in Boston in hopes of generating more financial support for small, rural communities.
After Dewberry orchestrated Monday’s walkout involving an estimated 300 students, parent Sharon Bail, 51, said she decided to take action herself and organize Thursday’s event.
“We’re not the only ones in this position right now,” Bail said. “You cut and you cut and you cut. We’re done cutting fat — now we’re cutting flesh and blood.”
Bail said the demonstration was as much about prodding legislators to give communities more state aid for education as it was to raise awareness about Granby’s hardships. Other communities are also laying off teachers, she added, so hopefully this demonstration will become part of a statewide effort to direct more money to education.
“The state continues to give us mandates. You have to do this, you have to do that, you have to give this test, you have to provide these services for your special needs kids,” Bail said. “They just keep piling these on but they don’t increase (state aid) to keep up with it.”
Also standing among the demonstrators Thursday was Superintendent Sheryl Stanton.
“I’m always in support of students articulating their feelings about their school and being a part of the change,” she said.
Stanton said earlier this week that the cuts being considered represent a 16 percent overall staff reduction.
“We’re here to support our teachers,” demonstrator Rhonda Fabricius, 49, said. “I’m hoping that Boston hears us.”
Fabricius, who is a school parent and substitute teacher, said she does not blame the town in this case.
But, she added, these budget cuts would adversely affect the school community.
“I know they’re doing what they have to do, but it’s not going to help students. It’s going to hurt them,” Fabricius said.
Fabricius said her son is a sophomore at the high school, and her daughter, who graduated from the high school, will study at Springfield College to become a teacher.
“We’re in a deep hole, and it’s going to take a while to get out,” she said. “We need help.”
Eric Goldscheider contributed reporting to this story.
Michael Majchrowicz can be reached at mmajchrowicz@gazettenet.com or 413-585-5234.