JEFFERSON TWP — After reports of teacher layoffs being discussed in the South Butler School District, students there have created a campaign to fight district cuts.

Last week, information about the district looking at potential layoffs and other personnel issues came to light, and in response, Monica Swaney, a senior at Knoch High School, took to the Internet with the hashtag #KeepKamer.

Swaney’s campaign is in support of high school art teacher Doug Kamer, who teaches many upper-level art classes like three-dimensional modeling, Photoshop, AP art history and flash animation courses and may be targeted by the board, according to the students.

Previously, district solicitor Tom Breth said the board is looking at a number of personnel issues, including layoffs and retirements that may not be replaced.

However, Breth stressed that nothing is final, and the board has not voted on the matter. But the issue may come before the board at 7 p.m. today as board members discuss the preliminary budget for the 2016-17 school year.

The Keep Kamer campaign has a petition on the website Change.org, and has links on Reddit and Facebook that direct people to the petition.

As of this morning, the petition had more than 1,323 signatures of the 1,500 goal.

Kamer could not be reached for comment.

According to Amber Griffith, a junior, the students do not have a lot of specifics on what the board intends to do.

“There isn’t really that much known for sure,” she said. “The most that we know is that one of our teachers, Mr. Kamer, is in jeopardy at this point. Being that there are only two art teachers at the high school ... a lot of people are concerned about what classes will stay, what classes will be cut and what will happen to the art department.”

Kamer teaches more upper-level courses rather than the basic introductory classes, and Griffith fears that this may be the reason he could be cut instead of other teachers.

“I think that because he does have the higher tier classes, that could be a factor but I’m not entirely sure,” she said.

While Kamer may not be the only teacher considered for possible layoffs, the students feel as though there is not nearly enough support given to the arts, according to Brooke Casey, a senior at Knoch.

“I think the main reasons that (Kamer) is getting let go is because of STEM, wasteful spending, and a disregard for the arts,” Casey said. “I have a brother in sixth grade, and it truly scares me to think that he won’t have the opportunities that I had once he reaches high school ...”

Griffith said that the school forgets that the arts serve an important role and that students need to have the opportunity to take humanities classes in addition to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) courses.

“A lot of careers nowadays focus on technology so schools seem to think that’s where they need to focus all their energy on,” Griffith said.

“They seem to forget that there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work, like graphic design, that ties into technology. They forget to also teach the students to be well-rounded, artistic and creative, to be human. They’re so focused on analyzing data and numbers. I don’t think it’s a very good thing to only emphasize one side of things.”

However, Superintendent David Zupsic stressed that the district is not looking to cut programs and that the district does value the creativity and benefit the arts bring to the school.

“We feel that arts are part of STEM as a matter of fact,” he said. “We often refer to it as STEAM, which has arts in that initiative. We highly value those skills developed through the arts.”

Zupsic said district officials are discussing personnel issues as part of the budget process for the 2016-17 school year. Because the preliminary budget will be presented to the board during its next meeting, he does not want to release information about the budget until that meeting.

Zupsic also declined to comment on any individual teachers who may be affected by the budget process.

But students have identified Kamer as one of the possible layoffs, and they are concerned that the district is looking to have a middle school art teacher and a primary school physical education teacher going to half-days.

A preliminary budget will be presented at the board meeting at 7 p.m. today at the library of Knoch Middle School, 754 Dinnerbell Road.

The board is expected to take action May 11 on that preliminary budget. Some students plan to present the petition to the board at that meeting.