VUSD Budget cuts affect VHS departments

Isabel Andrade, Patrick LaFave, and Henry Hampton

November 7, 2025

The 2025-26 school year starts with budget cuts to the arts and science departments

Possible budgets can be found on the VUSD Website where there are unofficial documents about budgets. Photo By: Isabel Andrade

The budget cuts proposed by the Ventura Unified School District have been implemented at VHS. The budget has progressively been declining throughout the years due to the money going to other school activities. The departments that have been affected the most by these cuts are the art department, performing arts department and science departments.

With budget cuts, the number of activities these departments are able to do have been limited. Drama teacher Arden Smith said, “Our budget has dwindled by at least 80%. I know that I have been told that there isn’t much budget from the school versus our actual drama ASB account. I have been told that there is practically nothing coming from the actual school.”

In a news release from the California Department of Education on July 1, the state superintendent Tony Thurmond and other education leaders called out the actions of the Trump administration. According to the California Department of Education, the administration is withholding billions of education dollars allocated by Congress for the 2025-26 school year. Superintendent Thurmond said, “The Administration is punishing children for the sole reason that states refuse to cater to Trump’s political ideology.” Superintendent Thurmond also said, “Courts have already taken action in our favor in these cases… California and other states have already filed suit against the Trump Administration based on prior acts to unlawfully withhold funding because we refuse to conform with the President’s political ideology.”

Some science teachers have access to other funds so they are not affected by the budget cuts. AP Earth Science teacher Jared McEntyre said, “My budget personally hasn’t decreased, the environmental resource pathway is funded through a different set of funds.”

Certain teachers and staff members are not affected by the school’s immediate budget as they get funded by a CTE. This allows them to get grants throughout the year that pays for their expenses throughout the school year. There is a process to gain one, but many teachers don’t have one, like chemistry teacher Karen Reynosa and Rob Lewis.

Smith said, “For grants I know the PTSA does a grant and there are other local businesses that can do grants or sponsorships with us. And I am allowed to ask the school for help but they are not able to provide much due to the budget already being low for the school.”

This not only affects the staff but also the students. Brendah Medina ‘26 said, “For any subject if we don’t have the proper materials and the money we can’t have the right things to teach us the subjects in the best way possible. And without the money I wouldn’t know as much about the subjects that I need to know about.”

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About the Contributors

Isabel Andrade, Outreach Lead

Isabel Andrade is a senior in her fourth year at The Cougar Press. She is the Outreach Lead for The Cougar Press which contributes to planning fundraisers and keeping joy in the journalism room. Isabel is also very active in the drama department as the Drama Club President and is a part of the stagecraft class. She hopes to have a good last year.

Patrick LaFave, Staffer

Patrick LaFave is a sophomore at VHS and is in his first year at The Cougar Press. He enjoys playing waterpolo and music outside of class, as well as photography, listening to and collecting vinyls.

Henry Hampton, Staffer

Henry Hampton is a sophomore in his first year at The Cougar Press. He enjoys playing the guitar, backpacking, running and photography. His favorite place to backpack is in Yosemite. He aspires to be a biochemist.