School funds drama position after teacher takes leave

Officials advertise for a drama instructor to run program backed by Facebook ‘fan’ group

By Nancy Townsley

The Forest Grove News-Times, Jul 21, 2010, Updated Jul 21, 2010 (1 Reader comment)

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Pieces of the Forest Grove School District’s plan to reinvigorate the drama department at Forest Grove High School are starting to fall into place.

A month ago, looming budget cuts prompted officials to save $70,000 by eliminating the theater arts director position formerly held by Bonnie McCabe, who retired from FGHS July 1. But now — after students formed an online Facebook group lobbying for someone passionate about theater to fill McCabe’s shoes — the district is advertising for a drama teacher at a salary of $25,612 to $49,388.

The part-time, temporary job is posted at www.fgsd.k12.or.us, the district’s website.

Whoever’s hired will teach four theater arts classes and oversee the production of fall plays and the spring musical next year. Assistant superintendent Dave Willard said Monday that pressure from the Facebook group had little to do with the district’s decision to open the job up.

Rather, a one-year maternity leave requested by high school English teacher Dayna Willms gave officials the leeway to move money attached to her position into the drama teacher slot.

“Since [Willms] is not going to be there, it allowed us that opportunity,” he said. “It doesn’t always work that way, but this time it did — and it’s great.”

He said a wave of correspondence from people passionate about drama at FGHS hadn’t directly influenced the decision, but added that the pleas had caught his ear.

“I got eight or 10 e-mails from parents and students who had graduated out of the high school drama department,” Willard said. “We were always going to have the program, the classes and productions we’d had in the past. But we heard them, and we agree 100 percent.”

Rather than find someone to work the .88-time position McCabe did in 2009-10, the district is advertising a .677 “full-time equivalent” spot.

To augment the program, choir director Barry Berdahl will teach a beginning musical theater class in 2010-11.

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