Staging an old-fashioned civics lesson, some 500 East Ramapo School District students staged a walkout Wednesday afternoon to protest the district’s budget cuts.

Students from Spring Valley and Ramapo High Schools made their way through the streets of Spring Valley to Memorial Park in a show of young people power, with groups meandering along Rt. 59 to periodic shouts of  “Save Our School.”

The students also had a nice sing-song call and response chant, repeating itself and giving a succinct protest message:

“We’re marching to  . . . Memorial Park . . . to save our arts . . . and make our mark.”

LoHud reporter Mareesa Nicosia wrote that one of the student organizers, Harvard University bound Olivia Castor, said the purpose of the march was to draw attention back to East Ramapo students.

“After the budget, after the votes, they have their seats and now here’s our agenda,” said Castor about newly elected school board members. “Today’s our chance to let them know exactly what we want because no one’s been asking us students what we want.”

The contentious East Ramapo school board election involved two distinct factions squaring off. A threesome reportedly supported by an Ultra Orthodox anti-tax organization won — new board members include Bernard Charles, MaraLuz Corado and Pierre Germain, who each won three-year terms on the nine-member board. The trio defeated a group that ran under the Save Our Schools Coalition banner and included Eustache Clerveaux, Robert Forrest and Margaret Tuck.

East Ramapo students have experienced years of school budget deficits and cuts, have seen popular programs dispensed with, had school board members resign in protest and frustration, including a BOE president, have experienced the school budget voted down three years running.

The district has been struggling to  provide special education services to some 20,000 district students who attend private schools. Approximately 9,000 students attend East Ramapo public schools. The district has been under increasing pressure as tensions have increased between the private and public school populations.

Most recently, the East Ramapo school district taxpayers voted down the proposed $210 million budget for 2013-14 that included cuts in art and music programs, various district sports and clubs, and the elimination of 60 district staff.

Michaelle Vilsa, a Spring Valley High junior, was quoted as saying that she was concerned with her future right now.

“We are trying to have better lives, better futures,” Vilsa was quoted in LoHud. “[The budget cuts are] not ok for generations to come, it’s not ok right now.”

Photo of East Ramapo students in Memorial Park in Spring Valley, NY courtesy of Meghan Murphy.

Mareesa Nicosia’s article on the East Ramapo student march can be found here.