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Students and parents urge North Clackamas SD 12 to restore full-time choir staffing at Rex Putnam
Summary
Students, alumni and parents told the North Clackamas SD 12 board that cutting the Rex Putnam choir teacher to half-time would eliminate classes, hinder extracurricular coaching and damage a long-standing music program; choir director Erica Lockwood and dozens of community members urged the board to reconsider.
Dozens of students, parents and music educators told the North Clackamas SD 12 Board of Directors on April 9 that reducing the Rex Putnam High School choir teacher position to half-time would damage a program they called central to student success.
"My position is being reduced to 0.5 FTE as part of a 3.0 reduction at Rex Putnam," said Erica Lockwood, the Putnam choir director. Lockwood, who told the board she has taught vocal music in North Clackamas for 23 years and led Putnam choral programs for 15 years, said splitting a teacher across buildings would be "not sustainable or educationally sound."
Students described the program’s role in building skills and community. "The arts and choir are a staple in my life," said Riley Pennett, a Putnam choir president, listing accountability, bravery and empathy as outcomes of sustained music participation. Former student Taylor Arco, now studying music at Oregon State, warned that a half-time position could force the removal of guitar, piano and advanced ensembles and would make scheduling extracurricular coaching nearly impossible.
Parents and community members echoed those concerns. Andrea Shank asked the board how many students would lose access to specific classes and which students—particularly those who rely on choir as their primary school connection—would be most affected. Multiple commenters recounted Putnam’s record of state-level awards and said program reductions would undermine a long-standing pipeline of student engagement and opportunity.
Supporters also cited research and local examples to argue that arts participation correlates with academic success and social-emotional supports. "Students who participate in arts education are up to four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement," one parent told the board during public comment.
Board members did not take action on the staffing item during the meeting. Superintendent Dr. James told the board earlier in his report that the district is projecting approximately 25 FTE reductions next year to align staffing with declining enrollment and rising costs; he said many reductions will be managed through retirements, resignations and reorganization rather than layoffs. The board has signaled the budget and staffing allocations will be discussed and finalized with the budget committee and the board in coming months.
The public comment period in this meeting prompted the board to skip regular board reports so more speakers could be heard. The district has not published a final staffing decision for Rex Putnam; board materials indicate budget and FTE allocation work will continue over the next three months.
