In a decision that many arts-focused students are considering a loss for the artistic community at BHS, BHM Schools administration has decided to cut the Arts Magnet program due to its small class sizes and lack of financial stability. Students and parents were notified of this decision via an email on February 9 that detailed what the program ending means for the school.
The email noted that standard art classes will still be provided to students, but there will no longer be any Arts Infused classes. The class previously known as Foundations will be transitioned into a one-quarter course named Artistic Inquiry, which will be provided if the demand is high enough. Along with those changes, transportation will no longer be provided to students who live outside of the school district.
Current juniors will be the last class to take the Senior Capstone course, while sophomores and freshmen will have no more Arts Infused classes.
Arts Magnet sophomore Megan Estrada says she has “a bunch of classes centered around Arts Magnet that I need to change. I had been planning what I was going to do for my Capstone since I heard about Arts Magnet, and getting that taken away is devastating.”
The Arts Magnet Student Activity Council, also known as AMSAC, is a group of Arts Magnet students who plan events for students of the program. AMSAC President Abi Hilden gave insight into the future of the council.
“We are working on continuing the council as a sort of ‘Arts Event’ planning council,” Hilden said. “The definite plan right now is that even though Arts Magnet is ending, AMSAC is here to stay for the near future.”
AMSAC agreed that it is an unfortunate occasion for the program.
Vice President Caitlyn Seidel said, “I wish that arts magnet would have continued for our freshman and sophomore classes. It seems unfair to them to rip the program they enrolled in out from under them.”
The Arts Magnet program had many aspects that were liked by the students; it provided a sense of community, connections, and feeling like part of a family. Some students felt that it was the only place in the high school where they belonged and could pursue their creative desires with no judgment. The program fueled a creative spirit in students that standard classes may not be able to supply. The end of the program will change the lives of many students at BHS.
