I speak for all Raiders past and present as a part of a proud tradition - "Once a Raider, always a Raider," we say, and my commitment to our community is steadfast. Today, however, we face a critical challenge. Recently, the superintendent recommended cutting the Career tech programs, threatening to eliminate opportunities for our local students and potentially cut nearly 13 jobs.

These career tech programs are vital as they ready our students for the job market, equipping them with essential skills that books alone can't teach. Moreover, this proposed cut would pose an enormous disadvantage to our students as over 75% of high school students nationwide are enrolled in career and technical education (CTE) classes (National Center for Education Statistics, 2017).

Moreover, the potential job losses would not only affect the directly impacted families but would also have economic consequences for our entire community. Remember, every job loss contributes to a decrease in local spending power, indirectly causing local businesses to suffer.

Our school, our community, our family of Raiders—it's time we stand united to retain these invaluable programs and jobs. We must voice our opposition to these cuts and advocate for a better, comprehensive solution that doesn't necessarily hurt our community's education system and employment rate. Stand with me; sign this petition to show we oppose the proposed cuts. Protect our students, protect our jobs. We are Raider Strong!