Our school has an arts program, but the performance space is rotting (OPINION)

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The Portland School Board in July 2015.

(Laura Frazier/Staff)

By Amy Lewin

In February, days before the first drama performance, Portland Public Schools (PPS) removed the curtain and rigging in Hosford Middle School's auditorium. The equipment, in use since the 1950s, was removed due to imminent safety concerns. Sections hung from the 32-foot ceiling "by a thread."

The district's maintenance contract on school rigging expired in 1988, so it's little wonder it became a hazard. Nearly 30 years of neglect will do that.

District managers informed parents and administrators that there are no funds to replace the equipment and any replacement is the responsibility of the community. So for now, this public meeting and classroom space, serving 220-plus drama and band students daily, is left bare. No stage lights and no curtain.

To compound the problem, the floor of the stage is deteriorating (40 chairs and music stands are dragged across multiple times a day), and lighting and electrical access require extensive updating (one outlet supplies a chain of cords for 16 plugs).

Since the demolition, Hosford parents have tirelessly explored funding options to restore the auditorium to a functioning space.

What is the true cost to fix it?

Building the fix list is the equivalent of herding cats. Add district rules and an unfriendly atmosphere among maintenance employees towards volunteering professionals and you have a slog few are willing to navigate for free. But we did. And we built a great list of to-dos. Problem is, it all costs money -- $110,000 worth -- to address not only the curtains ($16,000 -- not $65,000 as first told by the district) but also floors and electric.

Can we afford it?

Hosford, built in 1926 for inner-Southeast Portland, is a diverse community, just a few years beyond its long history as a Title I school. At the beginning of this year, 34 percent of students were on free or reduced-lunch programs. Asking parents to pay for this project is essentially asking for two out of three households (many of whom are just getting by with high housing costs, etc.) to give yet again. Let's say we optimistically chalk up $13,000 in contributions, then consider other options.

Portland's arts tax?

No. This supports staffing in schools, not capital improvement projects.

"We have heard time and time again that, in spite of the boon to arts learning, schools often struggle with providing sufficient supplies, equipment and space," Marna Stalcup, director of arts education at the Regional Arts and Culture Council, told us in an email. "You are not alone in this challenge."

A grant?

When asked for help obtaining corporate or foundation support for the project, the grant development administrator for PPS responded with, "No one wants to do something that they would consider maintenance that the school or school district should be doing themselves."

Indeed. Southeast Rotary just rejected our funding request for that very reason.

We are sharing Hosford's story because we know this issue is not isolated.

We also know that how PPS decides to fix the problem varies for each school. Rigler and Arleta schools' curtains and rigging were replaced last fall at no cost to parents. Cleveland High School is receiving a long overdue upgrade to the cost of about $444,000, paid for by the district, but not without heavy lobbying by its theater director.

At a three-year middle school that has seen three principals in that many years, we are in need of consistency, investment and support by our district. Hosford is expecting a record 700 students next year. Teachers are sharing classrooms to accommodate the growth.

The maintenance plan at PPS seems to be: Unless it's on the bond, let it hang by a thread. And if it can't be fixed, remove it in the name of safety until someone in the community steps up to pay to fix it. This is not a sustainable model. We need an action plan to maintain our schools that is fair to everyone -- not one that relies heavily on the shoulders of volunteers who may or may not be able to slog through the mess.

Let's get it right, PPS, and not leave our facilities for yet another generation to fix.

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Amy Lewin is vice president of the Hosford Middle School parent-teacher-student association (PTSA) and writes on behalf of the Hosford PTSA board.

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