The Oak Harbor School Board got an earful Monday night from a stream of speakers who vehemently opposed the district’s recent decision to remove high school choral director James Pruss from his position. About a dozen supporters turned out on his behalf.

Lori Procter expressed her “shock and dismay” at what she called the unwarranted removal of Pruss, who has led the high school choral program for 20 years.

“Something is going on here and it’s not right,” she told the board.

She said it was another example of how hostile the Oak Harbor School District can be, and that actions like this erode the trust of the community.

“I support the teachers and students. That is all,” she said.

Pruss was told on the last day of school that he would be reassigned to another position in the district, but he doesn’t know what that will be.

Superintendent Rick Schulte had said previously that the decision was made based on continued low enrollment in the choral programs, and poor performance evaluations of Pruss.

Several members of the school choirs spoke on their teacher’s behalf, some near tears as they described Pruss in glowing terms.

Dan Campbell, choir club president, felt there was a lack of support in the school district for the choral program.

“It makes the choir feel unimportant,” he said.

While the choir club had hoped to improve the image of choir, Campbell felt removing Pruss would set the program back at least a year.

Sharayah Lovell, chamber singer member and lead singer in the school drama club production of “Babes in Arms,” said Pruss helped every choir member.

She described choir as “one huge family,” and said Pruss was kind and supportive, with never a harsh word.

“You have broken the spirit of choir,” she told the board.

The school board has no role in the decision at this point, and could only listen silently to the tearful litanies, as Robert’s Rules of Order preclude them from responding to speakers during public comment.

Several of the choir members wondered how administrators could think Pruss was so bad, if the choir was so good. They cited the superior ratings at state adjudications, and the number of members who were chosen for all-state choir this year.

“We have never been this good,” choir member Jon Evans said. “He was supposed to help me get a first at solo next year. When I heard he had been reassigned, my dreams were shot down. Music is my life, it’s the only thing I’m good at,” he added, near tears.

Several former choir members had harsh words for the school district administration.

“I feel there is a blatant lack of quality leadership here,” Palmer Bodien, Oak Harbor High class of 1988, said.

Bodien took the conflict a step further, saying he did not know if he would support the high school bond the next time it comes up for a vote.

“This has turned me against the bond,” he said.

While district administrators cite the choral program’s low enrollment as a problem and hope that a new choir director can breathe life into the program, one choir student defended the size of the choir.

“Size doesn’t matter in regards to talent,” Patrick O’Brien said. He speculated the numbers may be lower than the district would like because choir is harder than some students think, and they drop out when they find it is hard work.

“They think it will be an easy A, but it’s not,” he said.

While enrollment in three choir programs last semester was around 60 students, more than 90 are signed up for fall quarter.

Peter Szalai, Oak Harbor Education Association co-president, said reassignment, or involuntary transfer, is a managerial right.

“If the district establishes a need, depending on a teacher’s credentials they can be placed in a position to meet the district needs,” Szalai said.

Generally, a good administration looks for volunteers, Szalai said, and that is usually the case in Oak Harbor.

“It’s in the district’s best interest to maintain good relationships with employees,” he said.

Pruss has filed a grievance with the teachers’ union, asking them to look into the reassignment, which he is opposed to.

Szalai said the union looks at whether a reassignment decision was made in an “arbitrary, capricious, or unfair,” manner, according to the union contract. However, Szalai conceded that can be extremely difficult to prove, as they essentially have to argue the absence of fact.

Szalai, a history teacher at Oak Harbor Middle School, said the union very seldom gets requests for appeals, and their findings can go either way.

“Sometimes we find the employee has been treated fairly,” he said.

While the school board did not take action on the matter at Monday’s meeting, Szalai said they are the ultimate arbiter of all administrative decisions, and could overturn the administration’s decision at any time.

School Board President Vicki Harring said Tuesday that the board would be inclined to let the administration take the lead in reassignment disputes.

“That’s why we pay the administration what we pay them,” she said.

You can reach News-Times reporter Marcie Miller at mmiller@whidbeynewstimes.com or call 675-6611