Mary Byrne
For Belmont High School Senior Gavin Tieken-Zidel, the high school theater program was a formative part of his high school years. Fellow Senior Brendan Barry talked about the the rigorous Advanced Placement courses, the popular after-school clubs, and the electives that help students explore their interests.
Both said they’d hate for others following them through Belmont High to miss out on those opportunities, which is why Tieken-Zidel and Barry are spearheading a student-led effort, encouraging their peers and other residents to support the $8.4 million Proposition 2 ½ override by voting “Yes” on Question 1 on April 2.
“This is really an ultimatum,” said Barry, 17. “If we don’t mobilize and if the students don’t really commit to the fact we should have high-quality schools and we should have all these extra-curriculars, sports, and the theater department, we’re going to lose it.”
According to town officials, Belmont faces a $6.5 million budget gap in the next fiscal year. The shortfall, they said, will continue to grow over the following two fiscal years as anticipated expenses outpace expected revenue.
According to budget documents, a “No” vote could mean significant cuts to programs and personnel on both the town and school sides.
The schools, for example, face $2.7 million in cuts, which would mean eliminating a slew of programs, including freshmen athletics, the ski team, the visual performing arts travel, and theater arts supplies. The schools would also cut about $400,000 in teaching positions and staff, which could mean the reduction of Advanced Placement and honors courses and electives.
Without the override, the budget shortfall would continue into subsequent fiscal years, with possible cuts including an end to the athletics and theater arts programs.
“For me, it was in the theater program; for plenty of kids, it’s in the rugby program; it’s in the swim team; it’s in the soccer team … The thought that someone might not be able to find themselves through these programs like I know I have, and I know hundreds of kids have over the years, is really sad,” said Tieken-Zidel.
Between now and April, the two students hope to get eligible students to register to vote in the April election. They’re also building a more visible online presence to bring awareness to the override.
“Every time I open Instagram, I see another person has reposted something that we made to promote the override because so many people care about this, ” Tieken-Zidel said. “I think that’s one of the big things that we’re doing here that the 2021 override [lacked] — I saw no information about it on social media.”
Since most high school kids won’t be eligible to vote by April, Tieken-Zidel and Barry are also reaching out to alumni in the area, as well as those who will be out of town for the election, ensuring they’re set up to vote remotely.
“They know how important these AP classes were, or how important these theater and sports programs were to their high school experience,” Tieken-Zidel said.
For students who aren’t eligible to vote, the group encourages them to canvass to get out the vote.
Barry said he’s aware of a local campaign against the override. The “No” campaign, organized by residents Wayne Wild and Sunyoung Hong, argues Belmont should “operate within its means.”
“We cannot be expected to sign off on property tax increases every time the town expenditures exceed revenues simply because the town will not control spending growth,” their website states. “It’s too much to ask.”
“No” campaign representatives did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
Regardless of whether the override passes, Tieken-Zidel and Barry hope getting students involved in politics at the local level will inspire them to be more civically engaged in the future.
“I think people are seeing this as an opportunity to not only help themselves but … to help their town,” Barry said. “If they’re willing to make the effort to help their town, they might be willing to help politics on a larger scale … especially as [the November presidential election] gets closer and closer.”
