Special Report: That’s a wrap? Bend-La Pine theater students fear budget cuts mean an end to their programs

'In a way, it saved my life,' student says; school district says it may reduce classes, no plans for elimination

Bend, ORE. (KTVZ) -- Mountain View High School theater teacher Amy James says she's worried changes next year could mean elimination of their theater program. 

“Well, the district as a whole, I think, has seen a decline in enrollments, and that's creating some budget constraints," James said. "And so you know, we were told here that that meant a reduction and a lot of FTEs, which includes the elimination of potentially the entire theater department.”

She says the theater program at Mountain View serves as a safe space for many of her students. 

“Kids have come to me and said, like, they need this. This is why they get up in the morning. It's what keeps them coming to school,” James said. 

One of her theater students, Theryon Taylor, says the program gives him a reason to keep going. 

“It gave me a reason to actually want to go to college, actually want to live my life further than high school. So in a way, it saved my life,” Taylor said. 

Two other Mountain View students, Emerson Nore and Milo Olson, tell us the theater classes motivate them to get through the school day. All three of the students are involved in Mountain View’s next production, Beauty and the Beast. 

James said, “It's been a tough situation in Mountain View since post-COVID. I'm the third theater teacher they've had in three years. We were really hoping to really build that consistency going forward, and to really be able to build the program back up to what it once had been."

Mountain View theater students are not the only ones worried. Some students and parents have heard Summit’s theater program could also be seeing cuts. 

Summit parent Clint Eichelberger said, “Some on social media, and some of it was the teachers talking about what they've heard from the administrators and talking about potential cuts, especially if the levy doesn't pass in May."  

Eichelberger’s son was part of Summit’s recent production of Alice By Heart, which was selected as one of the top high school plays in Oregon at a festival in Salem. 

He praises the theater program run by Lara Okamoto and says it would be a disappointment for kids to lose her as a teacher. 

“We just went to the equivalent of our state competition and we won the state title,” Eichelberger said. “The very next year, they're talking about cutting the program? That doesn't really make sense to me. Even if it's just small cuts, it's reducing the amount of opportunities that our kids are getting to be able to explore theater as a career path.” 

In a statement to NewsChannel 21, Bend-La Pine Schools officials said they wanted to clarify they are not eliminating either theater program. They say they are still in the process of building staffing plans for next year. 

Bend La Pine Schools are looking at budget reductions due to the decline in high school enrollment and expiration of ESSER funding (federal COVID relief dollars). 

“These are decisions we make based in part on how many students are expressing interest in electives," Communications Director Scott Maben said. "As of today, it’s looking like we may reduce theater classes from four to three next year at both high schools, but that is not a final decision." 

The district could reduce 60 staff positions next school year, under a proposed budget now under review, but officials wanted to note that these decisions are unrelated to the proposed levy. They would make the staff reductions for the coming school year through attrition (retirements, vacant positions, etc.). 

However, Maben said, “If the levy passes in the May 21 election, we anticipate being able to restore some (or much) of what is scheduled to be cut for the 2024-25 school year.”