Teachers and staff told the North Bend SD 13 board on Sept. 4 that staff turnover and recent position reductions have disrupted schedules and reduced specialized services for students.

Ben Castillo, a life-skills teacher who told the board he is in his 14th year, said a planned general-music class that would have focused on students on his caseload was canceled this year because of scheduling inflexibility and staffing changes. "I teach the life skills students. This is my fourteenth year," Castillo said on the record; he told the board he and high-school administrators plan to resume the class next term and he will "have due diligence to make sure this happens for my students."

An associate representative who spoke during the meeting described broad staffing shifts across buildings, including many teachers new to particular buildings and the district-wide effect of eliminated positions. The representative said primary music at the elementary level and a designated time for core instruction at some schools were affected, which in turn reduced pull-out support and required increased reliance on educational assistants. The representative said fourth-grade class sizes at Hillcrest have reached 30 students, which she said was likely to affect core literacy instruction.

Teachers and the board discussed operational impacts: new photocopiers, building improvements and a larger-than-expected turnover in staff have added logistical stress at the start of the year, presenters said. Board members acknowledged the concerns and recommended further communication and tracking of staffing and scheduling impacts so the board and administration can assess reallocation of resources.

A separate public comment noted a $2,000 donation from the Bay Area Concert Band to purchase a new tenor saxophone for the high-school band program; the donor and music staff were thanked on the record.

District staff and board members said they would continue to monitor the effects of reduced staffing and scheduling changes and invited staff and community members to provide specific instances (by email or direct contact with individual board members) so the board and administration can follow up.