Forest Grove School Board Recall Takes Toll - OPB News

Budget problems facing Oregon schools sometimes turn into political fights that wind up at the ballot box. That's the case in Forest Grove where voters will decide on Nov. 1 whether to remove two school board members over the district's budget problems.



To find out how this affects parents and kids, Rob Manning visited with the mom of a Forest Grove family we're tracking, as part of OPB's "Learning with Less" series.



Amanda Peacher / OPB

The Garcia Family



The recall campaign is about the big picture: how the Forest Grove district spends money. Forest Grove has wrestled with multi-million-dollar budget cuts; that's put more pressure on teachers, parents and administrators. To help alleviate some of that financial pressure, Maricela Garcia took on a smaller-scale financial project. She got the parents' club at her daughter's school -- Cornelius Elementary -- behind an idea of hers. She wants students to earn a little bit of money, pool it together and buy gifts for teachers, as sort of a morale boost.



"Every kid is going to bring in 20 cents a week," she said. "We're going to put our money together, and we plan to give our teachers a $50 certificate to buy whatever they want to buy. So, if they want to buy supplies, or if they want to just get themselves a Starbucks, they can do that."



But the big financial issues are harder to wrestle with. Even among budget-strapped Oregon districts, Forest Grove's problems are severe. The district has higher-than-expected costs, and a drop in funding, due to declining student enrollment. The school board has faced additional rounds of budget cuts since the school year began.



The effort to recall two school board members started months ago. Garcia gets emails from both sides.



"So they definitely have their mind in the right place," said Jason Giddings, a volunteer who is trying to recall the two school board members. "I don't think they put enough effort -- in fact, I'm sure they didn't put enough effort -- into understanding all the options."



One of the recall targets, Anna Tavera-Weller said she explored the options and a new board taking a new look wouldn't change much.



"Could we turn the tables at this time and reverse things? Either way, I believe that the outcome could possibly be the same," she said.



Garcia said the recall has been a tough issue. She tries to see the bright side of the arguments from both sides.



"We all have the best intentions," Garcia said. "I know that the district, when they make their decisions, they're trying to think of our children and of their staff. Same as the community, I know that the community, it seems like they're being very negative and close-minded, we also need to consider that they also want what's best for the children and the staff members."



But as an active parent, Garcia has stayed mostly clear of the recall campaign, so she could focus on how her two daughters are doing in school. That doesn't distance her from the district's budget problems. Her 8-year-old daughter's class is a lot bigger this year, she said.



"So, last year it was around 24 to 26. Now, our classes grew to 32, 34 children," Garcia said. "And we have to remember that my daughter is in a bilingual program, so they're also dealing with two languages. So teachers are under a lot of stress now."



Eight-year-old Chelsea is learning to read, and her mother said teachers are still adjusting to the new literacy program the district is spending half a million dollars to implement.



Garcia said she wants to find out all she can about how her daughters are doing in school, but with all the demands on Forest Grove teachers, she doesn't want to be a nuisance.



"I have seen it go bad, with some parents. You know, if you're too active, you're considered a problem parent, or a pushy parent, and I don't want that in any way," Garcia said. "I just want the best for my child, and I also want them (the teachers) to be able to do the best they can do, when it comes to what they're good at it -- which is teaching."



Garcia is active with Cornelius Elementary, and with the district's Latino Parent Advisory Committee. She said since the recall heated up, friends have asked her if she would consider running for the school board. She said she's not ready, and that the situation is too emotional right now. Garcia said the recall has gotten her daughters to ask when they'll be old enough to vote. The mother of two says it's good that her daughters are learning about democracy, and that the town is learning more about the schools.



Sources for this story came by way of OPB's Public Insight Network.



Find more of Rob Manning's 'Learning with Less' series on OPB's education page.