'All I'm getting is the bare minimum.' Rainier Beach High School students protest budget cuts

Dozens of students and staff gathered in front of Rainier Beach High School in south Seattle on Wednesday to protest cuts they say are unfair and inequitable, and will hamper students’ college plans.

Almost all Rainier Beach students are children of color. Most are low-income.

Staff say between district cuts and an International Baccalaureate grant ending, they’ll lose nearly four teaching positions – so many that the school won’t be able to offer four years of social studies.

“I want to go to a four-year college, and I can't do that with minimum graduation requirements," said sophomore Angelina Riley.

"That just feels like a cycle of me not being able to succeed in life, and just having to live in the bare minimum, because all I'm getting is the bare minimum."

School staff said the cuts include a full-time math teacher and more than one and a half literacy and Spanish support positions.

District spokesman Tim Robinson said the district has only cut two positions. He said he didn't have details on the cuts, but that they follow lower enrollment projections at Rainier Beach and cuts from the Legislature to the International Baccalaureate program.

"Regardless of the source of funding, they are still positions that we need in order to offer students four full years of their core subjects and the ability to apply to competitive colleges," said teacher Christina Black.

"Teachers and staff shouldn't have to independently fundraise and seek grant funding for positions that students need," Black said.

Robinson said the class offerings at Rainier Beach will still meet state standards, and the school's students will get the education they deserve.

Editor's note 5/9/19: This story has been updated to reflect the source of the budget cuts.