Choir members, parents and staff took a stand at the board meeting on Monday, Nov. 12 to voice concerns about the lack of an accompanist to assist choir director Sheree Stoppel. Previous requests for an assistant have been denied by the district.

Having an accompanist allows the director to walk through the singers as they rehearse and help them immediately. The lack of accompanist requires Stoppel to remain stationary, which she and others in the program believe detracts from the students’ learning.

“They’re very talented, and it’s holding them back,” Stoppel said. “There’s so much more that could be done if I was free to do it in the right way.”

Stoppel also said she believes education is key to resolving the issue.

“We need to educate why [an accompanist] is necessary, and not just say ‘we need this,’” Stoppel said. “I think education face-to-face is the answer.”

At the meeting, students and parents called for the immediate hiring of an assistant. Many people spoke to the board, including retired fine arts director John Albertson, who talked about the necessity of the position in his 35 years of experience. Choir members Maddie Plouvier, Emily Leonard and Misty Adkins, choir parent Dave Hanson and Stoppel also spoke.

Choir member Chloe Stewart explained that in addition to the people who spoke to the board on the subject, the attendance of roughly 20 was a big part of the statement they were trying to make.

“We [hoped to] pack the house so the board knows that this is an issue to the student body,” Steward said. “It’s affecting the classroom.”