Students from five Hudson high schools protest state education cuts
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
By PATRICK VILLANOVA
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
NORTH BERGEN - A sudden rainstorm didn't dampen the spirits of nearly 200 students at High Tech High School yesterday who marched, chanted and held signs to protest education cuts proposed by Gov. Chris Christie.
In conjunction with walkouts across the state, students at Dickinson, Lincoln and Snyder high schools in Jersey City, and High Tech, bolted from their schools throughout the day.
"We're a small school, but we can still make a difference," said Trevor McKeon, 16, a junior at High Tech.
High Tech Principal Joseph Giammarella and teachers looked on as the students gathered in a school parking lot on Tonnelle Avenue. Giammarella said the students would not be disciplined for skipping class, although they would be marked absent.
"They have the right to protest," Giammarella said. "I think most of the teachers are just out here watching and appreciating what's going on."
The protests came on the heels of the Hudson County Schools of Technology Board of Trustees' approval of a $45.7 million budget for the 2010-2011 school year that cut all sports programs at High Tech and County Prep.
"It's really upsetting, because I'm going to be a senior next year and we were