Residents and students urge district to restore Century High theater after district pauses daytime classes

Dozens of students, parents, teachers and alumni told the Hillsboro School District board during audience comment that pausing daytime theater classes at Century High School will harm vulnerable students and the school’s community.

Teacher testimony and community reaction: Century theater teacher Cassandra Sivet (identified in public comment) said the program did not receive timely district-led support when enrollment forecasts showed low numbers and that staff and students were not consulted on possible alternatives before the decision. “When the district announced the cuts, they were vastly unprepared to communicate with those affected,” the teacher told the board, noting outreach and promotion efforts her program had conducted.

Students, parents and alumni described theater as a lifesaving community and a learning environment that develops technical and workforce skills — set design, lighting, stage carpentry and production — in addition to performance. Parent Sean O’Brien said his son, who has autism and struggled socially, found friends through theater and that it ended suicidal ideation the parent said he’d observed earlier. “He talks to people. He's been involved in two theater productions at Century,” O’Brien said.

Forecasts and district explanation: District staff and Principal Casper told the board that the daytime theater sections were “paused” because forecasted enrollment did not meet the thresholds to run scheduled class sections. Staff provided forecasting numbers during the meeting: 15 students selected Theater 2; theater 3 forecast enrolled 4 students; theater 4 forecast ranged from 8 to 15 depending on final sign-ups; technical-theater courses also had low forecasts in several sections. A district staff member noted that, even if all interested students were combined, the total did not reach the enrollment needed for a single regular-period class.

District response on continuation and alternatives: Superintendent Reimann apologized for communication gaps and said Principal Casper has been meeting with affected students individually. Reimann said the district intends to keep theater production opportunities after school and that many juniors and seniors pursuing the theater career pathway still can combine humanities and senior seminar elements with after-school production to complete pathway requirements. “At Century High School, we still plan to offer theater production after school,” the superintendent said.

Concerns raised about equity, mental health and logistical impacts: Commenters and students asked for clarity on senior capstones, guidance for students who need theater for graduation pathways, and transparency about staffing transfers tied to budget reductions. Several speakers highlighted that theater programs often serve a high proportion of LGBTQ and neurodivergent students and called the district’s execution and communication “harmful” and “devastating.”

Next steps and board response: Board members thanked speakers for their advocacy, apologized for communication breakdowns and asked district staff to continue conversations with principals, teachers and students about options. Staff said they will explore possible alternatives — including combined classes, after-school programming, and cross-site partnerships — and will provide follow-up information to students and families.

Attribution: Quotes and numbers above come from public commenters and district staff presentations during the meeting; names and direct quotes are drawn from the meeting transcript.