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Parents, state lawmaker urge district to restore dance program after team qualifies for state
Summary
Parents and a state representative urged the Eatonville School Board to reverse a sudden decision to cut the high-school dance program the day after the team qualified for state competition, offering fundraising, volunteer transportation and other local remedies.
Erica Green, a parent of a member of the Eatonville High School dance team, told the board the program was cut by email the day after students were congratulated for qualifying for state competition and said neither the coach nor the students were notified in advance. “We had some extremely disappointing news the day after the school district congratulated them on making state: the program is being cut,” Green said during public comment.
State Representative Matt Marshall, who served previously on the board, urged trustees to consider local, creative solutions to preserve the program amid broader state budget reductions. “We’re seeing large K–12 cuts at the state level,” Marshall said, adding he hoped the board could find options that would keep the dance program alive without causing unintended harm to other services.
Other parents and staff offered immediate support: Megan Clark, a parent, and Sarah McKinney, a paraeducator at the high school, said families are prepared to drive students to competitions, boost fundraising and cover some costs. McKinney described the cut as “pretty devastating” after the team had just made school history by qualifying for state.
The board did not take action to reverse the staffing decision during the meeting. Trustees acknowledged the financial pressures discussed by Marshall and asked district staff to explore options and report back. The board’s consent agenda and routine purchases proceeded later in the meeting by voice vote.
Why this matters: Cutting an extracurricular program that recently qualified for a state-level competition prompted immediate community pushback and highlighted the local effects of state budget choices. Parents stressed scholarship opportunities and student well‑being tied to continued program participation.
The next step: Board members asked staff to return with possible cost‑neutral or low‑cost solutions and to brief the board on options that could preserve student participation without compromising other programs. No formal timeline for that follow-up was provided during the meeting.
