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GREENSBORO — The strains of the cello and violin may fall silent at the Weaver Academy this fall as the state budget crisis claims yet another academic victim.

Parents of students in the school’s strings program learned this week that the program’s teacher is cut from the school’s budget, effectively ending the program.

Parents say they won’t stand for it.

“People spend a lifetime trying to figure out what they want to do. We’re lucky; our kids know what they want to do and they’ve had the rug pulled out from under them,” said Thurman Givan.

Givan’s daughter is one of 12 students in the strings program.

An English teacher was also cut from the Weaver budget, meaning as many as 100 students who are enrolled in the school’s career and technical education program could be turned away.

The school board approved a 2009-10 budget in April that drastically reduces the amount of funding allocated to schools for discretionary spending. Principals use that funding for various school needs, including hiring teachers. The budget cuts mean principals have had to eliminate 118 teaching positions from the system.

The school board cuts are a result of anticipated state budget reductions. The ripple effect of those cuts is now washing ashore. Northern Guilford High School announced last week it will move from a seven-period day to six this fall because the school will not receive the two additional teachers it was originally budgeted for.

Weaver Principal Pete Kashubara said he isn’t giving up yet. Kashubara met with a few of the strings program parents Friday to discuss possible alternatives.

Kashubara said the strings students could stay at the school by entering another of the performing arts programs. Kashubara is also reaching out to community groups and individuals who might be qualified to teach the class and willing to volunteer.

“If they choose to stay, it’s my responsibility to find them a partnership to learn their craft,” he said.

Students enrolled in the visual and performing arts programs at the school must audition and meet a minimum grade-point average.

School board member Jeff Belton said losing an entire program to budget cuts is alarming. He has asked Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green and his staff to scrutinize how cuts affect curriculum.

“We don’t want to wipe out a program,” Belton said. “We want to at least give careful consideration to the kind of pain and the level of pain we’re causing. We might not be able to alleviate it much but we need to look very carefully.”

Belton said so far, cuts have been distributed formulaically among schools. That may look fair on paper, Belton said, but when you consider the effect on students, the cuts can look less equal.

Contact J. Brian Ewing at 373-7351 or brian.ewing@news-record.com