Board cuts Santa Rosa High woodshop

In an emotional decision Wednesday night, the Santa Rosa City Schools board voted to eliminate the woodshop program at Santa Rosa High School next year.

The 5-1 vote wipes out five periods of woodshop for which about 140 students are already signed up. Those students will be directed to other electives that are not already filled.

The board members, each of whom spoke in strong support of the decades-old program, said the district had little choice but to cut the program in large part because county regional occupational program funding was slashed 20 percent by the state.

"This is a decision that is being forced on us because of a lack of funding from the state," board president Donna Jeye said. "We are simply the last stop that the train has to take."

The district has cut $3.4 million in programs as a result of funding cuts or loss of revenue, and expects to cut another $5 million next year.

The first half of the meeting was dominated by speakers imploring the board to maintain class-size reductions in kindergarten through third grade, as well as school-site discretionary funds that pay for tutors, art supplies, teacher training, counselors and other programs. A vote on those potential cuts is expected May 6.

Santa Rosa High Principal Jim Goddard told board members his campus is bracing for cuts of 38 classes next year, and to save woodshop would mean even deeper cuts to other programs that are already being trimmed. The woodshop program was also singled out because it is the lowest enrolled pathway on campus -- one student smaller than the autoshop program.

"I don't see it being able to be kept without severely impacting other programs," Goddard said.

But Santa Rosa High senior Skylar Siegel called the loss of woodshop "appalling."

"It's a lost art in our society," he said.

Board member Bill Carle urged district staff to examine all potential federal stimulus dollars for a way to reinstitute woodshop as soon as possible.

"This darn well better be at the top of that list," he said. "There is nothing about this that is acceptable. The fact that ROP funding has been cut 20 percent doesn't give us a lot of room."

Scores of students and teachers spent time at the microphone praising second-year teacher Mitch Utsey and the class that has alternately provided an outlet to overstressed calculus students and a reason to show up to school for others.

"I think high school is a time to explore, to know what you are good at, what you like," retired teacher Josie Lee said. "Not everybody goes to college. We seem to herd them all through the same gate."

Board member Tad Wakefield earned cheers from the solidly pro-woodshop crowd by voting against the proposal.

"Woodshop has been there since forever and I can't come around to canceling it," he said.

The district does not have a plan to dismantle the machinery housed in the woodshop classroom, citing the hope that the program can be re-launched.

Staff Writer Kerry Benefield writes an education blog at extracredit.pressdemocrat.com. She can be reached at 526-8671 or kerry.benefield@pressdemocrat.

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For more on what went on at last night's school board meeting, go to Kerry Benefield's blog at extracredit.pressdemocrat.com