Save Theatre Teacher Eric Holsen's Job, Because the Alternative Doesn't Make Any Sense
Last week, theatre director Eric Holsen was notified that his position will be recommended to be cut in next year’s school budget. If the school board agrees with that recommendation, South St. Paul, MN students will be without their theatre director for the first time in a decade. To make matters worse, the recommended alternative doesn’t make fiscal sense and hurts theatre students even more.
For the past 10 years, Eric Holsen has been the theatre coordinator for South St. Paul public schools. His responsibilities include directing multiple shows per year for multiple grade levels and overseeing many other aspects of those productions such as tech and publicity. It’s rare that a school community has a “jack-of-all trades” position like this. But that could all change if the school board agrees with the recommendation to cut this job. They would eliminate half the school district’s theatre productions as well.
The reason why Mr. Holsen’s position is on the chopping block is in response to a larger fiscal issue for South St. Paul schools. The district is facing a $4.1 million shortfall heading into the 2020-21 fiscal year. And this was before the COVID-19 pandemic. The district provided an explanation and response on their website:
According to district officials, the gap is the result of declining enrollment, increasing costs and inequitable state funding. “This is the largest reduction we have had to make in our district in the last decade, so the impact to our organization is significant,” said Superintendent Dave Webb. “We have worked hard over the past several months to align our budget to the district’s core values and vision and to hear from key stakeholders. We don’t bring this proposal to you easily.”
According to their website, one of their approved actions to close the budget gap was to adjust programs and cut staff which would save $1.26 million. This would likely include Mr. Holsen’s jobs if the recommendation is approved. Surprising or not surprising, there isn’t a single cut to athletics in the budget.
While I agree that cuts and adjustments are likely necessary, they should start with an essential position like Mr. Holsen’s. Not to mention the savings of $40,000 by eliminating his job, would make much of a difference in closing the shortfall gap. And by cutting this position, the school board would be cutting the only theatrical outlet for students in the area. According to Mr. Holsen, they don’t have other options. “The school’s theatre program is the only in-town opportunity for theatre in the community,” he said. “ There is no other organization in place to take over if the school drops the ball on this.”
Mr. Holsen also told me that he and his staff were never asked by the school to come up with budget-cutting solutions that could have saved money without cutting positions. He has multiple ideas that could equal the $40,000 needed but was never given time to present them. “We have been running this program for 10 years,” he told me. “ We have information, insight, and knowledge that this administration simply does not have.”
If the recommendation is approved, the school district will move to Extra-Curricular Assignment contracts. Basically they would be an individual a one-time fee to direct these productions. However, according to his job description, Mr. Holsen does the job of 3-4 people in one. I would argue that the district would be saving money by keeping him on rather than contract out to multiple people throughout the year. Not to mention that the constant changing of staff would take a toll on the students in the theatre program. Imagine if a high school football team had a different head coach for every game, I don’t know how that supports the students.
So I hope the South St. Paul school board does not approve this decision during their May 4th meeting. Having investigated and advocated for theatre teachers and programs all over the country, there are multiple ways to closing budget gaps without massive cuts to a predominantly self-sustaining program like the one Mr. Holsen runs. I think Mr. Holsen should be given time to find other ways to save money instead of being told he’s out of a job. Thankfully, many in the community agree. A Change.org petition has started and has already collected move than 2,500 signatures at the time of publishing this piece. And support page has popped up on Facebook and it’s been flooded with letters and testimonies from current students, parents, and alums all praising the work Mr. Holsen has done. One letter stated:
Mr. Holsen encouraged me to pursue my passions, he pushed me to help me grow. I can say that it is absolutely because of his guidance that I now have a career in theatre.
I asked Mr. Holsen what this kind of support meant to him.
“There is a huge SSP Theatre community, a family, really, that is being dealt a serious and awful blow by this devastating proposal,” he said. “ And the responses to me personally - it’s been humbling, overwhelming, tear-inducing. I’m touched beyond belief at all of the support that is being offered for both the program and for me.”
Photo: South St. Paul Theatre