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Parents and teachers urge Oregon City SD to direct $1.4 million toward special education, staffing
Summary
Parents and teachers at an Oregon City School District public budget hearing urged the board to allocate much of a roughly $1.4 million return to schools toward special-education staff, smaller class sizes and student-facing positions to protect vulnerable students and sustain recent test gains.
Parents, teachers and program staff urged the Oregon City School District Board of Education on Monday to use roughly $1.4 million returned to schools to restore special-education supports and frontline staff.
Nicole Jensen, a parent of two students with special needs, told the board she has observed “dozens of vulnerable students walking around unattended” because there are not enough staff or supports, and asked the board to place as much of the funds as possible into special education so students can remain engaged and safe. "A fully funded and well-supported special education program supports all students," Jensen said.
Kelsey Clubba, a Candy Lane parent who said she has helped organize community input, asked the board to “focus on student safety and reinstate as many teaching, IA, and other student-facing positions as possible,” naming counselors, psychologists, occupational therapists and secretaries as priorities. Clubba asked the board to manage class sizes and avoid blended or split classrooms.
Liz Cook, a parent of two students with IEPs, urged the district to direct funds toward rehiring and retaining specialized program assistants in structured learning classrooms and staffing education resource centers, saying those staff allow vulnerable students to learn “in their own schools alongside their peers.”
Teachers also described how staffing cuts would affect classroom instruction. Haley Zeal said Oregon City High School’s English scores rose 12 points this year but warned that projected class sizes — with AP classes as high as 42 and averages of 36–37 in some courses — would make meaningful feedback and assessment “incredibly challenging” and risk undoing gains. "Class sizes of 40 will be devastating for their success," Zeal said.
Emily Kenny, a teacher at the Oregon City Service Learning Academy (Oxla), described students with complex needs who rely on small-class, relationship-driven programs. Kenny said Oxla’s size lets staff identify needs and build individualized plans; she asked the board to consider preserving that setting in funding decisions for next year.
The testimony combined three consistent requests: restore staff lost to reductions, prioritize special-education supports, and limit class-size increases that speakers said would harm both vulnerable students and general education outcomes. Multiple speakers framed the request as both a safety issue and an instructional necessity.
The board did not respond to public comment during the hearing; members moved on to an action item later in the meeting and voted to adopt the 2026–2027 budget. The board also scheduled a special session and work session for June 22 at 6:00 p.m.
