LBUSD is currently facing major budget cuts due to a decline in “student enrollment and average daily attendance,” Dr. Alexander, Millikan’s Principal, explains.
From an interview and story by Kate Raphael from the Long Beach Post on Feb. 18, 2026, she explained that two solutions being navigated during this time include not “renewing the contracts of 515 certified employees on temporary contracts,” and “laying off 54 classified district positions,” or non-teaching positions. So how will Millikan students be impacted?
Regarding these staff layoffs, Alexander explains, “There will be staffing reductions based on enrollment across the district, including at Millikan.” When looking at the list above, there are a few familiar names of Millikan staff on the list of teachers whose temporary contracts will not be renewed.
Very affected by the budget cuts will be the number of elective classes. Photography teacher Scott Coppenenger elaborates that many electives will be streamlined or cut, saying, “If it is not essential for either college or graduation, it’s up for the chopping block.”
What further determines which elective classes will be cut is student schedule: the more students who sign up for a class means more of that class will be available and vice versa. “I have been told that if there are not at least 24 students signed up for the class then the class will be dropped, and that goes for any of the classes in the art department,” explains visual and 3D art teacher Ms. Bailey.
Also regarding student schedule and budget cuts is the fact that students are limited to a maximum of seven classes. Head Counselor Mrs. Mashburn explained that Millikan is assigned a certain amount of teachers based on the number of enrolled students to maintain the student-teacher ratio at Millikan but with the budget cuts, “Our teacher allocation for the 2026-27 school year has been reduced due to a decrease in district funding, as such, we are unable to offer an 8th class at this time.”
There is also major speculation from students and teachers alike about the status of pathways and its correlation to the budget cuts. PEACE math teacher Mr. Marchael describes his theories for next year, “The school has opened up [chemistry] which is usually pathway pure, so there is some speculation going around on if it’s going to extend to more classes.”
MBA sophomore Kendall Vanderbrink also shares what she’s heard, “My English teacher was talking to us about how the school was facing budget cuts and all of the pathways will be having classes together.”
“Pathways remain an important part of our school culture,” Alexander states, shutting down rumors of more pathway mixing because of budget cuts.
“Our priority remains providing quality instruction and maintaining the resources students need to succeed,” Alexander reassures in the midst of these cuts.
As this is an evolving issue, monthly updates with more information and data regarding the budget cuts can be found on the LBUSD website, but regarding Millikan, students will mostly be affected by the classes available to them.
Samantha Flores • Apr 13, 2026 at 11:40 pm
On March 30, 2026, Aubrey Calderon wrote an article titled “LBUSD Budget Cuts Reach Millikan.” This article does a strong job of clearly explaining the causes of the budget cuts, especially the connection to declining enrollment and attendance. I also appreciated how the piece included perspectives from both administrators and students, which helped make the issue feel more immediate and relevant to the Millikan community. The explanation of how electives and class availability may be affected was particularly effective in showing the real impact on students.
One suggestion I have is to include even more student voices, especially from those whose schedules or pathways might be directly impacted. Hearing more personal experiences could make the issue feel more relatable and urgent. Additionally, I would have liked a bit more clarification on the long-term solutions the district is considering beyond layoffs and class reductions, since this seems to be an ongoing issue.
Overall, this article was informative and engaging, and it helped me better understand how district-level decisions can directly affect students’ daily experiences. It also raises important questions about how schools can balance funding constraints with supporting student opportunities, and makes me wonder how these budget cuts will affect future students and whether similar reductions will continue in the coming years.
Caitlin Ujiie • Mar 31, 2026 at 1:48 pm
On March 30, 2026, Aubrey Calderon wrote an article titled “LBUSD Budget Cuts Reach Millikan”. I was pondering through Corydon’s latest articles, and this one specifically caught my attention. It dawned on me, after reading this thoughtful article, that budget cuts are a serious issue. It’s sad to see that it’s possible that many teachers and staff members on campus might be let go. To add on, many electives and classes students enjoy might also get removed as well which is sad to hear.
I also had no idea that students would only be allowed to take seven classes next year. That definitely is a big change for Millikan. Will it ever go back to eight classes? Hopefully it does.
Macy Blackman • Mar 31, 2026 at 1:31 pm
I came across this while going through the recent articles from the Corydon, and her views and explanations of the impacts of the budget cuts throughout the district is intriguing. She shows how this can be linked to the lacking attendance and enrollment in schools. Calderon displays how these new budget cuts will effect the students and staff of Millikan. She explains that the main change we will see is different classes, mainly electives, being cut. The decision on which electives will be cut depends solely on the popularity of the class. I admire how she is able to give a clear explanation of not only what the issue is, but how it is impacting multiple different parts of Millikan.
Calderon does a great job of illustrating both students and staff members perspective on the new budget cuts. Millikan’s students have already noticed different rumors starting about what changes will begin to arise. Calderon displays that sophomore in MBA Kendall Vanderbrink has heard that pathway classes will begin to conjoin. Calderon then shares how Principal Alexander shuts down this rumor by emphasizing the importance of pathways, and how they will continue to be a major part of our school. Altogether, Calderon’s article on the new budget cuts of our school allow students to understand the main changes that they will see, and also what will stay the same, giving essential entail on what to expect moving forward.
Bailey • Mar 31, 2026 at 1:16 pm
On March 30 2026, Aubrey Calderon wrote an article titled “LBUSD Budget Cuts Reach Millikan”. It seems that every year the district’s budget gets tighter and tighter , and now it is at the point where it is greatly impacting both students and staff, more than it usually does. This article perfectly captured this issue that is not just happening in our school but throughout the entire LBUSD District. This article does an excellent job at highlighting some of the main issues such as staffing cuts, class cuts, and students now being limited to only 7 classes for the following year. This article also did an amazing job of putting the spotlight on a major issue, I still feel, is still not getting enough attention. I try my best to keep up with the up and coming changes that come with the district’s budget cuts, but some of the information within this article was new to me.
However, I do wish the author included more information on the possibility of pathway classes merging. Because while pathways are a significant part of our school’s culture, it could be nice to meet more people with different interests, so it would be nice to have more specifics on this particular upcoming change. Other than that, Calderon did an amazing job addressing the issues of the upcoming budget cuts and how it will be affecting both teachers and students.
Julian Stout • Mar 31, 2026 at 12:57 pm
In the article, Calderon does a good job at citing multiple sources, including both factual evidence and firsthand accounts, such as those of teachers and staff. To add on, she makes sure the audience is well-informed on the topic and makes sure to leave out opinionated statements that might sway the audience. In the article, Calderon talks about different things, such as how the budget cuts will affect both students and teachers, for different reasons. For example, she highlights how, for students, it will mean having fewer choices for class selections, and for teachers, it means some will get laid off and will be out of a job.
Additionally, she includes quotes from multiple sources, including students and teachers on campus. This can make the audience trust the information in the article more, due to the fact that they may know the people in the article, or they may also have some of the teachers as well.
Maxime Meredith • Mar 31, 2026 at 11:26 am
As conveyed in the article, I have seen a massive attack on freedom of speech as a whole. As highlighted in the article, I have seen the effects of these budget cuts firsthand, they are heavily affecting our school community. Several teachers I know personally have been laid off or are actively searching for new jobs because of the lack of summer programs and extracurricular activities to support them. It’s disheartening to witness educators who are passionate about their work having to leave due to the financial strain placed on the district.
Like Calderon’s powerful portrayal of the fight for free speech, I feel that these cuts threaten the very core of what makes our school special, the ability for students to explore interests and for teachers to inspire with no restrictions or budget cuts. I have also spoken with students and teachers who express concern over the dwindling course options and the uncertain future of pathways. This is more than just money; it’s about real people’s lives and future opportunities.
Sophia Bravo • Mar 31, 2026 at 10:54 am
The article starts off with an eye-catching graphic that perfectly ties in with the article’s theme. The actual writing begins with a quote from Millikan’s Principal, that provides a clear understanding of why the article is made. The author uses a cause and effect type structure to better portray the meaning of the text. This is helpful because the article then goes on to state a quote with provided links to another article from the Long Beach Post.
The author ensures to address all concerns the article might bring up. There are quotes provided by two elective teachers that are believed to be the most affected by the soon to be budget cuts. There is even a quote by the head counselor breaking important news of the school only being able to provide seven classes.
The article concludes with more quotes from fellow students that provide differentiating opinions on the news. The author has also mentioned a past concern with merging classes with different pathways which has been an important issue. Although there might be many more questions students might have after reading this article. The author has put that into account and added another helpful link to the LBUSD website where the questions can be answered. Overall the article was written with the audience’s best interest in mind with providing helpful information and answering as much as they could.
Isabelle Ruvalcaba • Mar 31, 2026 at 10:09 am
The article is very detailed at giving the reader an idea of how the district’s budget cuts will affect the lives of teachers and students. For instance, Calderon includes the words of Dr. Alexander, Millikan’s principal, who speaks on the situation and says, “There will be staffing reductions based on enrollment across the district, including at Millikan.” This piece of evidence gives the audience an idea of how the budget cuts will impact many schools across the district including Millikan. The article also says how many electives will be cut if 24 or less students have signed up for the class. This will affect the entire class schedules of students because now, Millikan will no longer give students the option of having 8 classes.
The article explains the impacts of the LBUSD budget cuts and what effects it will have for the 2026-2027 school year. To further explain, the article says, the district will “not ‘renew the contracts of 515 certified employees on temporary contracts,’ and ‘laying off 54 classified district positions,’ or non-teaching positions.” This information indicates how the next school year will be very different with more and more teachers being laid off, which will change the amount of classes that can be taught. Also, due to the budget cut, there is a probability that classes will have to be mixed with other pathways, instead of just one pathway class. This will definitely be a big change for the upcoming school year.
The editor did an amazing job writing the article because she made sure to highlight the entire situation about the topic. I think that the article really engages the readers and provides them with information on the topic of the LBUSD budget cuts. This is a good topic to write about since the effects of the budget cuts are going to happen very soon in the future.
Jessica De Haro • Mar 31, 2026 at 9:48 am
The author does an amazing job in informing her audience on the details of how both students and staff will be affected. Including an explanation from the principle allowed me to deeper understand the situation as I know the information is coming from someone credible. I admire the author covering this topic to keep students informed on the district’s actions. As someone who is related to teachers and school staff, it is disappointing to see how teachers almost never win. To add on, it is also concerning that elective classes will also be cut when they allow students to express themselves creatively or fulfill their interest. I applaud Calderone in also having rumors regarding pathways addressed. The student body continues to be concerned with that topic as well and admitting the pathways will not be affected might put some at ease. I felt Calderone did an incredible job in addressing the concern with the district’s decision.
Matteo Palma • Mar 31, 2026 at 9:44 am
This article touched on the issue of LBUSD budget cuts and their effects on Millikan. The largest consequence of these cuts is the removal of many classes at Millikan. The schools are allowed a certain number of teachers based on the students which in the past meant 8 classes maximum at Millikan. With said budget cuts Millikan can only offer 7 classes maximum. Cauldron explains these reduction of funding can also influence the matter of pathways at Millikan. This can already be noticed at Millikan as many pathway pure classes are full of mixed students in a wide variety of different pathways. Calderon explains nicely that these cuts are due to a loss in student enrollment and attendance. Calderon stays unbiased throughout this article and simply shares the facts on a topic that many in the circle of LBUSD can be frustrated with. It is explained that many employees of LBUSD have lost their jobs due to these cuts, which shows that the influence of the district’s funding is immense. Calderon wrote a great article which simply gives the facts on the topic of budget cuts at LBUSD and its consequences on Millikan High School employees and students.
Colin Tran • Mar 31, 2026 at 9:24 am
The author did an excellent job on emphasizing the impact of Long Beach Unified School District’s budget cuts and how it is going to affect Millikan High School. The author provided many different and diverse perspectives on how the budget cuts are going to affect teachers and classes throughout our school. They provided specific quotes from Dr. Alexander (Millikan’s principal), Ms. Bailey (3D art teacher), Mr. Marchael (PEACE math teacher), and Kendall Vanderbrink (MBA sophomore student). The article stated that this budget cut is happening because of the decline in student enrollment and that this will put the jobs at risk for teachers, especially elective teachers. Many students believe that the district budget cuts will force Millikan to mix pathways. But, Principal Alexander opposed these rumors highlighting that pathways will still remain a part of Millikan’s culture.
Isabella Clark • Mar 31, 2026 at 9:14 am
To start off I really like the cover image. It takes the unfortunate situation of our school losing money and frames it to be less serious than it is. As much as this topic is heavy, as many teachers are losing their jobs, the image creates a sense of irony, light heartening this devastating situation. Another thing that I enjoyed reading about was all the different teachers’ opinions and speculations. I personally have been hearing different points of view about the budget cuts from my teachers and it is truly a devastating thing that many programs will be cut. As someone who has taken an art class here at Millikan, I think it is very important to have options available because it gives students the opportunity to try out new things and learn new skills. I do agree with how budget cuts will have a negative effect on a lot of students and teachers. I will be greatly affected by this because my band director is new this year and I am worried the Marching Band program will be cut. The whole part that brings everyone together in my opinion is the fact that we have so much urgency and choice here at Millikan, with these cuts, that all is going to disappear. My reaction to the mixing of pathways came to a surprise at first because for the first two years of my high school career, my science classes were strictly pathway oriented. Despite my shock, I enjoy the mixing as I have the chance to be with my friends who are in other pathways. I also like to bring new diversity to the classroom.
Sadie Albert • Mar 31, 2026 at 9:11 am
This article is informative and very well written. It is the perfect length where it is able to go into detail and give a lot of information but does not bore or overwhelm the reader. It was an easy read and Calderon chose a topic that I think everyone is dying to know more about.
Now by far my favorite part of this article was her quotes. Calderon is able to get a variety of quotes but most importantly, she gets a few from our principal, Dr. Alexander. These quotes are very important to the reader as she is the most informed out of everyone. If someone is going to give us answers it it Dr. Alexander. It establishes Calderon’s credibility as we are able to trust what Dr. Alexander says. In addition we can conclude that Calderon did her research and is someone we can listen to. Calderon also gets quotes from some of the other people who are affected by these cuts. We hear from elective teachers as well as from students. We get to hear how everyone is being affected by these budget cuts which really elevated this article.
Overall, I think this is a great article and should be applauded. I can’t wait to read Calderon’s next published work.
Caius Moore • Mar 31, 2026 at 9:10 am
I found this article to be very informative and helpful. This school year, especially, many more of my core Quest classes have become mixed. This article helped me see the true reason behind these mixed classes. Additionally, I have experienced firsthand Millikan’s lack of funding through the cancellation of the annual Quest Junior field trip. With these changes being made, many other students and I continue to wonder if these changes will be permanent. Reading the article gave me better insight into the issue.
While this article was very interesting to read, I think it could be improved by further explaining what the school may be doing to combat these budget cuts, along with giving more details on how student life will be directly impacted. Perhaps by getting more quotes from the principal or directly from the district, readers could better understand how the school is coping with the lack of funding. Additionally, adding more comments on how the student community feels about the changes, along with how it has been affected, would add credibility and relatability to the article.
Overall, the article was very informative and easy to read. Although it could be enhanced further by adding more details on how the changes are going to affect the student community, along with classes in the future. Nonetheless, the article gives readers a much better understanding of what is truly going on behind the scenes of Millikan.
Tristan Ith • Mar 31, 2026 at 9:09 am
On March 30, 2026, Aubrey Calderon wrote an article called “LBUSD Budget cuts reach Millikan”. This article stuck out to me because I wanted to dive deeper into what my next school year would be like, Calderon giving me a good idea. I liked how Calderon listed and explained the different ways that budget cuts would specifically affect Millikan and telling the students directly how it impacts them. Additionally, the interview with Principal Dr. Alexander strengthens the credibility of Calderon’s article as well as providing the perspective of staff members themselves.
Details such as the number of students required for a class to stay at the school, renewing contracts, and laying off district positions provide statistical information that remind us how people need to help fund the district and attend schools. I can infer that Calderon is knowledgeable in this topic considering these pieces of information that help tie her points together, showing that she dove into this issue thoroughly.
However, I wonder, what would happen if the budget cuts become too extreme? Will the school have to get shut down? Is the current state recoverable? In the end, Calderon’s article is an excellent piece of work that strongly explains the issue that our school and district are currently facing and the possible solutions or outcomes in the future.
Ella Cates • Mar 31, 2026 at 9:02 am
This article is very organized and allows us students to have a clearer understanding of what will be happening with our staff next year. Knowing the number of students that have to be in a class for it to continue allows us to be very specific with what we pick for our classes. Aubrey used multiple sources from the Long Beach Post to Principal Alexander, and even some of our very own students, allowing us to view where everyone is with this situation. Next year will definitely be different if they are pushing to combine even more pathways into different classes. I have been impacted by it this year, as my math class is mixed, and I have noticed that it is hard for my teacher to meet everyone’s needs, since everyone learns at a different rate. I think that there needs to be a bigger ratio of say Quest students mixed with others. I’ve noticed that the decrease in attendance is tremendous every day. I have a large chunk of students gone, especially in periods one and two. The motivation to go to school has decreased because people no longer think it’s as important. The rumor that pathways are going away has been a big topic, so I am glad to see Mrs. Alexander state that they will not go away because they are essential to our school. Having this article is very helpful to the student body and even concerned parents. Her format and statements are very strong, concluding with another source for people to go and read more about this issue.
Lina • Mar 31, 2026 at 9:01 am
Her frank, professional and clean-cut style of writing impressed me, as did her choice of topic. As a student here at Millikan myself, I am also impacted by these troubling budget cuts and I appreciate the blunt and factual way she presented the reader with details on our district’s shortcomings, as well as the connections she made to the significance of this for our school.
One great success of this article is the way that Aubrey presents her sources in a clean and linear fashion, which makes it incredibly easy for all readers to parse. In addition, not only are her quotes not just meaningless sound bites, but they fit well into the subtle undertone Aubrey has crafted: that we should stand up and maybe do something about this, because our teachers need us. Her anecdotes from the teachers serve to evoke both pathos and anxiety in the reader and serve as a rudimentary call to action.
All in all, Aubrey has done an excellent job and I thank her for informing us students about these problems.
Oliver Sammelius • Mar 30, 2026 at 1:17 pm
In this article, the author outlines why LBUSD is in a budget crisis, and then explains how it will affect Millikan High School. One impact that the author brings to our attention is staff layoffs, which is confirmed by quotes from Millikan principal, Stacey Alexander. Additionally, interviews from teachers at Millikan High School confirm that electives that are not essential for graduation or college have the potential to be removed from school curriculum. The author also includes other effects that budget cuts are having on our school, such as the exclusion of 8th period from student schedules, as well as the possibility that pathways will be removed, as more “pathway pure” classes are including students from all pathways. Overall, the author does a fantastic job of bringing to light the possible effects of budget cuts on Millikan High School, and how that will impact our experience as students.
Makellah Mahan • Mar 30, 2026 at 1:14 pm
Dear Corydon Editor,
On March 30, 2026, Aurey Calderon, wrote an article titled “LBUSD Budget Cuts Reach Millikan”, This article dives into a topic many students tend to ignore, we often think “we’re only here for a few years so why bother”. But the truth is the LBUSD budget has been affecting students in a multitude of ways for many, many years. As Calderon explains, classes are being cut, the arts department especially is being hit hard, and people are being laid off. The list of teachers whose contracts are not going to be renewed was especially heartbreaking. Many of those names are ones I recognize, these are people looking for work, in a job market that can not support them. These people have families they need to support and now they have the added stress of finding a new contract each year, which is not an easy task. Calderon’s article expertly describes how LBUSD budget cuts are affecting students’ lives. Although, it would be helpful to see a more effective plan in place from the district that looks past cutting costs and focuses on providing solutions to some of the bigger issues in schools, so that the community does not feel like the budget is being wasted on trivial tasks.
thanh • Mar 30, 2026 at 1:10 pm
This particular article caught my attention as there have been rumors going around about the school not having enough money for certain things such as water. For example, a few teachers have said that we would no longer have the in-class water and would have to find a water fountain outside if we needed to refill on water as the school doesn’t have the money for the refills. We would not have the refilled in class water for a bit, but later would have the in class water again. I’ve also heard that some teachers are getting caught due to the budget cuts and the school not having enough funds. So, this article allowed for some confirmation and more insight into the situation. I think that articles like this are good for the school as they allow for students to be informed about what’s going on at school and within the school district.
Samantha Oropeza • Mar 30, 2026 at 1:08 pm
This article did a good job of explaining how the budget cuts affect the district as well as Millikan. Additionally, the article also explains how budget cuts will affect students. I appreciated how well explained this article was and the interviews from various people at Millikan. The interviews added different perspectives to this issue and also helped explain it more. Furthermore, Calderon was able to put a topic that might be a little difficult to understand into easy to understand language. The links provided prove that what is happening is real and it was sad to see so many staff not getting their contracts renewed. Also, since art is only required for 1 year in the A-G requirements, does this mean that there will be less art teachers because it’s not required? This article did a great job of putting the effects of LBUSD budget cuts into understandable chunks.
Tayme Ali • Mar 30, 2026 at 1:05 pm
This article was an interesting read to me since it opened my eyes to the financial situation in the Long Beach Unified School District. I didn’t realize that people with temporary contracts were no longer having their contracts renewed. I liked how you explained how this will affect Millikan in ways like losing specificity in our pathway classes, certain electives having the potential to be cut, and staff members that we know here at Millikan might lose their contracts with the school. What I think is the biggest shame is that some pathways might be scratched from the list of available classes.
What I think would be a good addition to the article is going more in depth on how “student enrollment and average daily attendance” affects the districts budget. That could be a good way to add a little more background information. Nonetheless, I still really enjoyed reading this article, and it peaked my curiosity. I believe it brings awareness to how this situation affects us here at Millikan.
Emile Culbertson • Mar 30, 2026 at 12:57 pm
I found the quote from Kate Raphael that 515 certified employees on temporary contracts will not be renewed interesting because this is happening to my mom as well. She is a National Board certified Teacher Librarian at Hoover Middle School and Tincher Prep. Her coworkers and her have been extremely worried these past few months because they do not know who is safe from being cut. My mom has been trying to approach parents to speak out to the school boards to protect the librarians. It is really sad to see her so stressed out about her job because she loves libraries and her students.
I also appreciated what Ms. Bailey had to say about the art classes dealing with elective classes being cut. I have been in the instrumental music program for the past three years and those classes have been my favorite out of all the classes I have taken. I have been playing viola for the past six years and I could not imagine my life without a music class. I looked at the list Calderon included in the third paragraph and I was shocked to see both of my music teachers on that list. I fully believe that music classes are important not only for the students’ education but for the students’ mental health. My comittment to the music program saved my life and I don’t know what I would do without it.
I found it interesting that Millikan will be limiting students to only seven classes instead of eight starting next year. I am in the marching band in the fall semester and I found it extremely helpful to have only seven classes because during that period I have off I can do homework or practice for rehearsal. But I can also see how students would want an 8th class because they can earn more credits. Some students really enjoy the academic rigor of having many classes. My sister will start at Millikan as a freshman in QUEST next year and I hope the school will figure out what to do before she gets here. I love being at Millikan and I hope that whatever the school decides will help as many students as possible.