Based on the school budget deficit, the administration cut a freshman AVID period for this year. Principal Wynne Satterwhite said that she had to cut a certain number of class sections last year based on the student demand numbers for certain programs.

According to AVID coordinator Joanne Miyahara, the numbers in March were inaccurate because the AVID teachers had not yet had a meeting to count all the incoming freshmen and determine what kind of support programs would best fit their needs.

Despite the inaccuracy of the numbers, the two freshman level AVID classes were cut down to one freshman level class for this year.

“Although the numbers were inaccurate, I understand that [Satterwhite] had to make a decision based on the numbers at that point,” Miyahara said.

Due to the lack of AVID classes for freshmen this year, both teachers and students are not able to maintain their goals for AVID.

“The AVID programs help students to go onto four year colleges or universities who need this extra layer of foundation to really be academically successful and competitive for the top universities and colleges,” Miyahara said.

With a class of 34 freshmen, the AVID teachers said they cannot find the time to help each student the best way possible.

“Freshmen year is a critical year in helping students adapt to the high school workload and transition from middle school,” Miyahara said. “I feel like I need to volunteer my time because I don’t want to say to these kids who want to go onto college, ‘Sorry, you can’t be in a class, there’s not enough room.’”

Freshman Bhevdeep Singh is currently enrolled in the AVID program and has already noticed how the lack of freshmen AVID sections are affecting the new AVID students. He transferred between AVID classes because he was first in a sophomore level class. After transferring into the larger freshmen AVID class, he had to move back into the sophomore class.

“I noticed that I had no help so then I asked Ms. Miyahara, ‘Well, when I need help what I am going to do?’” Bhevdeep said. “Then [she] suggested that I come back here.”

The AVID teachers are still in the progress of finding ways to best accommodate to the situation for both the students and the school.

“I just think that it’s hard,” Miyahara said. “We are in a time where difficult decisions need to be made but we also still hope that we are able to provide the support we need to guarantee the academic success for students who really desire it.”