During a sometimes raucous Tigard-Tualatin school board meeting Monday night, May 5, teachers, parents and students made it clear they are unhappy about cuts to the school district’s budget that will result in the elimination of teaching positions.

Before the event, a large rally of teachers and their supporters — estimated around 400 people — packed an outside area at Templeton Elementary School, many holding signs about the cuts and chanting slogans to the beat of drumming in a gathering sponsored by the Tigard-Tualatin Education Association.

Last month, the school district announced that as many as 61 full-time equivalent positions — including 38 teaching positions — would be part of needed cuts for the 2025-26 school year budget. In all, the so-called reduction in force involves about 75 full-time equivalent positions.

On Monday, leadership for the 700-member teachers union disputed the number of those involved, saying there will be a total of 84 personnel affected by the cuts, whether transfers, layoffs or reductions in hours.

District needs to cut $10.7 million from its budget
The rally and protest comes at a time when the district said it needs to trim $10.7 million to offset a budget deficit caused by declining enrollments, increased operational costs and an insufficient state school fund, resulting in expenditures outpacing district revenues.

During the rally, Jennifer Brown, vice president of the Tigard-Tualatin Education Association, said the cuts would include instructional positions including teachers, counselors, special education teachers and teachers on special assignment.

“With these cuts, we’re looking at increased class sizes across the board, an example being 30 students in second grade classrooms; 30-plus maybe even 40 students in middle and high school classrooms, affecting everyone in our community,” Brown said.

Following the outdoor rally, the majority of those gathered packed into the adjacent Tigard-Tualatin School District Training Center where the school board was holding its regular meeting.

Drop in student enrollment is an issue
During the meeting, Superintendent Iton Udosenata said financial challenges are affecting not only Tigard and Tualatin schools but schools in other neighboring districts as well.

“The key things are that our revenues are not keeping up with our expenses,” Udonsenata said.

He pointed to a drop in student enrollment versus the number of staff as one of the problems.

“Over the course of the last five to six years, our staffing has gone up by 14.5%, and our enrollment has gone down by 9%,” he said, adding that fewer students means less state funding. “So, we have to change our spending habits.”

Many of those at the school board meeting expressed concerns about cutting staff or programs, especially those connected to music and theater.

Grace Simpson, a senior at Tualatin High senior enrolled in four advanced arts classes, said without the classes she was taking, “I wouldn’t even know who I am.”

Other students said Tualatin arts programs, especially the school’s noted theater program, have helped them overcome such issues as social anxiety or have made life better for them.

Robert Hawthorne, a retiring vocal music director at Tigard High School, said his school has seen a 20% growth in student interest in choir and vocal music classes and is experiencing a 93% retention rate of those students continuing in the program. He said the school requires a full-time vocal music instructor who has specific training in vocal music and is against changing his position to a half-time person.

What’s the future of arts, theater in schools?
“Choir is an inclusive space where all students find community and welcome. Even beginners. To put this at risk is utterly gut-wrenching,” Hawthorne said.

In a statement released Monday, district officials said there are no plans to eliminate theater or choir programs.

However, three sections of Tualatin High School theater department classes are being reduced because they lack the required threshold of students to fill them.

“The drama teacher has been transferred to another school,” the statement said. “Theater production budgets, stipends, and tech direction positions are all in the place for next year.”

Likewise, three sections of music classes at Tigard High School will be reduced for lack of the required threshold of students participating.

“Decisions have not been made about exactly which music classes will be reduced, but will continue to allow for both beginning and advanced choir and beginning and advanced band offerings at Tigard High School moving forward,” the statement said.

In that same statement, Udosenata said the district is committed to having strong music and theater arts programs.