I don't like this exercise . .

As the doom and gloom of the economy is spoken every night on the news our school budget (or upcoming lack there of) hangs over us in the district. We were asked last week to help assist in a "budget exercise". Each school district employee was emailed a complete breakdown in detail of the entire school district's budget for one year. All the Certified/Classified staff payrolls, supply budgets, district office salaries/expenses, bussing, custodial, athletics/activities, ratios of class sizes, reductions in days (what a day costs), music & arts programs, etc. etc. etc. We were asked to go down the list and cut $7 million out of the budget. Then we were asked to meet together within our buildings, where we sat in groups and at individual tables of about 8 people each, we were instructed to create a list of our top ten cut items. Each group was given a big sheet of butcher paper to write their top ten on, then they were plastered onto the cafeteria walls side by side. Every staff member was given 20 colored sticky dots. "Now, place your dots next to the suggested areas you feel most strongly about" says our Principal. "Then we will create a spreadsheet in decending order of items with the most votes to areas with the least votes". This is the part I could not participate in, it felt horrible, cheezy and cheap, and it gave me a stomach ache. Like I am going to march right in front our band director or AG teacher and put a big sticky mark next to "cut music programs" or "cut agricultural programs" Who am I to judge their programs importance in the big scheme of a child's education. The sad part is there were some people who were totally into it, smiling, slapping stickers on programs like they really have the power, it was bizarre. Plus, I guess on the selfish side I didn't really want to sit there and see all the sticky dots going up next to "cut Athletics/Activities programs" either. So now all our district admin. folks (who I think already know what is going to be cut and what isn't) can tell us no matter what is decided, "We allowed our staff to be a part of the process." Well, I think this exercise should be "cut" because it stinks. and on that happy note . . . .