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Parents and educators urge Portland district to protect extracurricular access, arts funding and staff diversity
Summary
Three public commenters told the committee that sports roster rules, cuts to arts hours, and a staffing assignment that would remove the only Black teacher at a school threaten student belonging and equity; speakers asked the board to use contract exceptions and existing SIA funds to preserve access.
Three public commenters used the committee’s public comment time to press for protections for extracurricular participation, arts programming and staff diversity.
Coach and educator Chris Kennedy described a case at his middle‑school track program where a small cohort of incoming students had previously received hardship exceptions to remain on the team but were recently told they must attend another school. Kennedy said the team size ("we're over 263 kids currently") makes school‑based community and continuity important and asked the district to consider how hardship exceptions are applied to protect belonging.
Parent Ariana Aa (Buckman Elementary) said staffing cuts next year will sharply reduce hours for visual arts, music and library educators at her Title I arts school. She urged the committee to allocate existing Student Investment Account (SIA) discretionary funds to preserve arts teacher positions rather than leaving those SIA choices to limited discretionary selection.
Parent Britt Appleton (Rose City Park Elementary) said a staffing‑on‑assignment would remove her school’s only Black educator. She cited "Article 18.6.2.3" of the PAT contract as an exception to seniority that should be applied immediately to prevent the representation loss and asked the board to direct HR to apply it at Rose City Park and similarly situated schools.
The committee thanked the speakers and made no formal commitments during public comment; directors later referenced these concerns during broader discussion of equity, program protection and consolidation approaches.
