Parents, students and unions press Beaverton board on budget cuts, ICE response and staff protections

Union leaders, students and parents used the Beaverton School District public-comment period on Feb. 3 to pressure the board to defend school programs and staffing amid looming budget cuts and to strengthen district responses to immigration enforcement activity.

Katie Lukens, president of the Beaverton Education Association, told the board that schools should be sanctuaries and criticized recent federal enforcement actions. "We decry the unconscionable violence of federal agents who deployed chemical weapons on a peaceful demonstration," Lukens said, and she urged the legislature to "decouple" Oregon’s tax code from the federal income tax to avoid a $1,000,000,000 hit to state school funding she said would force cuts.

Kirsty Sackman, OSEA chapter 48 president‑elect, thanked interim superintendent Mike Scofield for stepping into the role and urged the district to consider the well‑being and inclusion of classified staff when making budget decisions. "We as classified staff continue to show up day in and day out...and we feel respected, heard, and valued," Sackman said, asking the board to keep classified employees in hiring and benefits conversations.

Students and parents described concrete classroom and support impacts if cuts proceed: student Brooklyn Sefton credited a substance‑use specialist with helping her recovery and warned that losing support staff would be devastating; student Elliot Schnell and counselor Samantha Mincher described the central role of counselors, social workers and specialists in student safety and well‑being. Mincher urged the board to "reexamine our ICE plan as well as personnel in place" if workload shifts heavily onto counselors.

Several public commenters asked the board to adopt districtwide ICE response protocols, staff training, and legal‑observer training for documentation. Parents and students recounted families affected by immigration enforcement and asked for clear district processes to maintain safety and trust.

Board members thanked speakers and said the district will collect public input through the budget survey and continue advocacy to legislators. Several board members asked staff to return with additional information about budget tradeoffs and how proposed cuts would affect students and staffing.

What’s next: The board signaled that budget decisions are still pending; staff and leadership will collect community feedback via the district survey and will return with more detailed financial information during upcoming meetings.