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The sun broke through the South Coast's cloudy skies Monday afternoon, giving some employees of the Coos Bay School District just enough time to gain the attention of passing motorists - and not get wet.

If only that ray of sunshine would grace the mindsets of those in the state house, they must have thought.

About 60 school employees - almost all teachers and staff - gathered at the intersections of U.S. Highway 101, Anderson Avenue and North Bayshore Drive Monday, for what was billed as an "informational rally" to raise public awareness about the lack of adequate state education funding for this year and next.

"We're all concerned that kids are being ripped-off," said John Vickrey, a 12th grade U.S. studies teacher at Marshfield High School.

Monday's rally coincided with the first of nine days the Coos Bay School Board voted to cut from this school year as a cost-saving strategy.

Ten cut days are in the budget for next school year in order to save about $800,000. Overall, the district's budget committee proposed $1.45 million in reductions to account for dropping enrollment, higher health care costs and increases in the Public Employees Retirement System. Monday's organizers suggested in leaflets it passed out, for the public to ask legislators to fund the Oregon public school system with $5.4 billion. While no final state figure is expected soon, neither the state senate or house has come close to reaching that figure.

"It's a unified statement made by all staff members of District 9 - administrative, classified and certified staff," said Jason Goodson, a technology teacher at Sunset Middle School. "Simply stated, we don't have enough money to keep the school doors open. We are out of money."

While the workers did carry hand-held signs and passed out leaflets encouraging motorists waiting for traffic lights to turn green to contact their state representatives about the state's recent education funding packages, the event was not a protest or strike against the Coos Bay School Board's decisions.

"There is no anger toward the School Board," Goodson said. "Lots of people feel compassion for them - because it sucks to be given so little amount of money to work with."

The teachers were met with friendly beeps from car horns, and at least one sarcastic remark from a student driving in car, asking, "Why aren't you in school?"

For many teachers, the shortened school year doesn't equate to speeding kids through coursework, said Jamie Fereday, a seventh grade life sciences teacher at Sunset. Instead, most teachers simply elect not to teach certain aspects of their courses. He cut out sections on human biology and the taxonomy of plants due to the shortened school year.

"That's a loss to kids," he said. "If you try to press it all in - in less time - you're just scratching the surface. You're doing a disservice by just giving it lip service."

Like many teachers, he said, even with a full school year, it's difficult to find the time to fit everything in.

"But this is worse," he said.

He harbors no ill-will toward the school board for the closure days. The district's budget has become skeletal over the last few years, he said.

"We've cut programs, maintenance and positions. The union has negotiated with all that in mind. We are down to the bare bones," Fereday said. "Cutting days was the least of all evils."

The school closure days not only affect students, but also makes a dent in employees' pocketbooks. Since no school employees are working from June 6 through the 16, nobody is being paid either. School officials have said it costs about $80,000 per day to pay for the district's expenses. The district planned to cut days from this school year during last year's budget session, so employees had the option of having money deducted from their paycheck in one lump sum in June, or spreading it out throughout the year.

"It's half of my month," Goodson said, referring to the dollars he didn't see in his June paycheck.