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\nAlex Bo\u00farde, a junior in the ArtQuest visual arts specialty, focus on the fine details with while completing a self-portrait project Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at Santa Rosa high school. (John Burgess\/The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
![\"Junior](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/TPD-L-jb0311_hartquest_004.jpg?w=620\")
\nJunior Flynn Bryne focuses on completing a self-portrait project Tuesday, March 10, 2026 in the visual arts specialty at Santa Rosa high school.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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\nJuniors Sofia Pe\u00f1a, right, and Eralin Hughes focus on completing their self-portrait projects Tuesday, March 10, 2026 in the visual arts specialty at Santa Rosa high school. (John Burgess\/The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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\nJunior Rebecca Owens focuses on completing a self-portrait project Tuesday, March 10, 2026 in the visual arts specialty at Santa Rosa high school. (John Burgess\/The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Alex Bo\u00farde, a junior in the ArtQuest visual arts specialty, focus on the fine details with while completing a self-portrait project Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at Santa Rosa high school. (John Burgess\/The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n
Expand<\/a><\/p>\n Speculation began swirling in early March about cuts to ArtQuest, in the form of changing student schedules. One reported proposal would involve halving instruction time for all students with a two-period block schedule. Students in ArtQuest\u2019s largest specialties, theater and visual arts, as well as those in the photography, video arts and digital arts specialties would drop from two full class periods, totaling two hours of continuous instruction, to one hour-long period.<\/p>\n Santa Rosa High School counselors, who did not want to be named for fear of retaliation, said they are being told to prepare ArtQuest students for a backup plan, should they not be able to take two consecutive periods of art next school year. They are currently meeting with students to create class schedules for the year.<\/p>\n By shortening ArtQuest class time from two periods to one, district leaders would narrow instruction time and enable cuts to the program\u2019s ranks of teachers.<\/p>\n Interim Superintendent Lisa August Hume confirmed March 10 that there will be reductions to the master schedule at Santa Rosa High School, which every year changes based on enrollment across the campus and in specific programs. But she would not confirm whether the two-hour ArtQuest block schedule will be reduced as a result of these campuswide changes.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are actively looking at fiscal options in collaboration with Santa Rosa High School and look forward to working along our ArtQuest team to identify solutions for ways to ensure that we protect the integrity of a phenomenal opportunity for students,\u201d August Hulme said in an official statement March 13. \u201cOur new fiscal reality means that we must look at how we deliver programs and services. Students continue to be able to submit course requests based on their interests, which in turn influences how we approach master scheduling.\u201d<\/p>\n The budget ripples for ArtQuest appear stronger at this point than at least one other prized high school specialty program. Montgomery\u2019s International Baccalaureate staff members are protected by skipping criteria, meaning they are shielded from general layoffs like those afoot this year. That program actually expanded this year to offer classes to middle schoolers.<\/p>\n It is unclear other specialized programs, including Piner High\u2019s Health Science and Biotechnology Program and Elsie Allen\u2019s University Center also are bracing for cuts.<\/p>\n Together, the programs have constituted some of the main curricular incentives touted by officials to attract and retain students, even as enrollment slipped districtwide over the past decade or so, doing much to fuel the district\u2019s current budget crisis.<\/p>\n The district already approved about 120 staff layoffs in February as part of its sweeping fiscal recovery plan said to save $35 million in ongoing and one-time costs. Notices went out last week to affected teachers to meet the state deadline of March 15 for school districts to alert employees of potential layoffs.<\/p>\n In early layoff plans approved by board members in February, at least seven of those staff include are high school fine arts teachers and two are high school theater teachers, according to district board agenda documents. Because all layoffs are based on seniority, it is unclear whether layoffs will directly impact ArtQuest; if ArtQuest teachers are low on the seniority list and receive a layoff notice, it is unclear whether those staff will be replaced.<\/p>\n ArtQuest teachers say the lack of assurance and confirmation on whether the changes are set in stone have caused students to panic, and in some cases, has led prospective transfer students to withdraw their applications.<\/p>\n And they fear any dismantling of the two-period schedule will cause irreparable damage to the strength of the vaunted program.<\/p>\n \u201cArtQuest was specifically designed as a specialized magnet program to go above and beyond the traditional fine arts,\u201d Delello said. \u201cTeaching in the visual arts, having that two hours is really an opportunity to get to the depth that we are able to, to treat the students like working artists.\u201d<\/p>\n District leaders have been meeting with Santa Rosa High School administrators to identify possible funding sources to maintain ArtQuest offerings. Delello said she has not yet been looped in to collaborate.<\/p>\n And after a handful of ArtQuest students and teachers spoke out at the March 11 school board meeting, President Nick Caston said the board would address ArtQuest and other specialized programs at the next meeting on March 25.<\/p>\n Training ground for artists<\/p>\n The ArtQuest theater students were in full costume March 10 when they practiced their scene from \u201cThe Bacchae.\u201d Some held props, others held large drums in between their legs, tapping a rhythm that served as the heartbeat of the scene.<\/p>\n The elaborate rehearsals allow the students to perfect the material they perform, said theater teacher Jereme Anglin. That diligence regularly earns acclaim. This year, for example, at the Lenaea High School Theater Festival in Folsom, ArtQuest\u2019s theater students won 10 individual awards, while their original satirical play, \u201cLiberty and JustICE\u201d \u2013 written in collaboration with The Imaginists theater group<\/a> of Santa Rosa \u2013 won the top honors for a play.<\/p>\n Earlier in the week, the students rehearsed \u201cLiberty and JustICE\u201d in preparation for a sold-out show Friday night, March 13, at The Imaginists\u2019 playhouse.<\/p>\n \u201cBy having two hours of time, I\u2019m able to get the kids into costume, maybe they\u2019re in corsets, wigs, makeup,\u201d Anglin said. \u201cThe time we have is not only to train the students but also rehearse a play up to a professional level.\u201d<\/p>\n Christopher Chung \/ The Press Democrat<\/p>\n Santa Rosa High School ArtQuest student Leila Paine rehearses her monologue for \u201cGreat Roles for Older Actresses\u201d by Andrew R. Heine at the Black Box Theatre in Santa Rosa, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (Christopher Chung \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Christopher Chung \/ The Press Democrat<\/p>\n Santa Rosa High School ArtQuest student Elljay Broderick rehearses his monologue from \u201cRare Birds\u201d by Adam Szymkowicz at the Black Box Theatre in Santa Rosa, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (Christopher Chung \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Dean Jahnsen<\/p>\n Ross Winn, a Santa Rosa High School junior (left) as Charlie Brown and Cynthia Richards, also a junior, as Van’s sister during dress rehearsals for the ArtQuest performance of Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead. The show was canceled by the district for “inappropriate messaging” after opening night. (Dean Jahnsen)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Laurel Merrick<\/p>\n ArtQuest theater students Alison Green, left, and Grace Green perform in the original play \u201cRedacted\u201d at the 2025 Lenaea High School Theatre Festival. The Santa Rosa High School group went on to win the top \u201cSpirit of Lenaea\u201d award. (Laurel Merrick)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Show Caption<\/p>\n Christopher Chung \/ The Press Democrat<\/p>\n 1 of 4<\/p>\n Santa Rosa High School ArtQuest student Leila Paine rehearses her monologue for \u201cGreat Roles for Older Actresses\u201d by Andrew R. Heine at the Black Box Theatre in Santa Rosa, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (Christopher Chung \/ The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n![\"ArtQuest](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/TPD-L-jb0311_hartquest_003.jpg\")
ArtQuest visual arts teacher Brooke Delello, right, works with junior Talia Loarie on her self-portrait project Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at Santa Rosa High School. (John Burgess\/The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n\n
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Santa Rosa City Schools is poised to make cuts to the ArtQuest program through the reduction of class periods students spend in their specialty at Santa Rosa High School, Tuesday, March 10, 2026 (John Burgess\/The Press Democrat)<\/p>\n