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Students, parents plead with Wake County board to preserve Broughton dance staffing
Summary
Students, parents and community members urged the Wake County Board of Education to retain a second dance teaching position at Broughton High School, saying enrollment jumped to roughly 275 and that cutting one position would force lotteries and deny access to many students.
Students, parents and community members urged the Wake County Board of Education on June 2 to reverse or clarify proposed staffing changes they say would sharply reduce access to the Broughton High School dance program.
In a packed public comment period, students described the program as a community resource and a driver of academic engagement. "Broughton Dance is more than just a dance department. It is a community," said Jaden Orman, who identified themself as a student at Broughton High School. Several student speakers and parents cited enrollment figures they said demonstrate demand: "275 students have selected dance as their first choice elective for the 2026–27 school year," Campbell Cook told the board.
Advocates warned that reducing staffing to a single position would force a lottery for placement and could mean more than 220 students assigned to a single teacher, a ratio they called unsustainable. "Cutting a dance teacher would greatly impact the quality of a program and would mean a teacher ratio of potentially over 220 students to just one teacher," Alexa Wilson, a freshman, said.
Parents framed the issue as one of priorities and long-term value. "We are not asking the district to build something new. We are asking you to sustain a program that already has proven its value and support the enrollment demand that already exists," said Brian Cook, a parent of a rising senior.
Board members responded during comments later in the meeting, with Mr. Hagerty, the board's budget chair, saying the board's approved budget did not cut high-school program enhancement funds and thanking Wake County commissioners for a $25.3 million contribution to school funding. He clarified that school-level staffing decisions may still vary because principals allocate positions within each school's budget. "Please know that we have heard from Wake County students, Wake County parents, Wake County staff about the importance of the arts and arts education," Hagerty said.
The board offered immediate follow-up: after public comment Vice Chair Hershey and district staff agreed to meet with Broughton students, parents and leaders (Dr. Hill, Miss Posey and Mrs. Beckham) in the lobby to discuss next steps.
Why it matters: Advocates said the dance program supports student engagement, leadership and postsecondary opportunity and that reducing staff would limit access for incoming and current students. The board's clarification about the budget does not directly resolve how individual schools will use allocated positions; principals often make final staffing assignments based on enrollment and priorities.
What comes next: The board did not take a formal vote on staffing at June 2. District staff agreed to speak with the Broughton group immediately, and parents said they would continue advocacy. The board will consider related budget and staffing decisions at upcoming school- and district-level meetings.
