For parents concerned about the future of the elementary music
program in the Morgan Hill School District, the news at last
week
’s School Board meeting was good: the program will continue, in
some form.
For parents concerned about the future of the elementary music program in the Morgan Hill School District, the news at last week’s School Board meeting was good: the program will continue, in some form.
The program was in jeopardy due to budget cuts. Because of declining enrollment and projected state education cuts, trustees were forced to slash $3.4 million from the district budget.
At the May 5 meeting, district staff presented trustees with four options.
Option one is the elimination of general music at the fourth grade level, with general music instruction offered twice a week for fifth and sixth grade students.
Option two would offer general music instruction to all fourth, fifth and sixth grade students once a week.
Option three would eliminate fourth grade music and offer pull-out instrumental instruction twice a week for interested fifth and sixth graders.
Option four calls for general music instruction for all fourth grade students once a week and instrumental or general instruction for all fifth and sixth graders once a week. It bascially cuts music from the current twice weekly for fifth and sixth graders.
“What is the preference of the music folks?” asked Trustee Jan Masuda.
Linda Mann, director of curriculum and staff development for the district, presented the options and told trustees that Mike Rubino, who coordinates and teaches in the music program, had worked to develop schedules that would work with each option.
“He has worked with all the details, and has been able to put together a schedule that’s quite rigorous, but possible,” Mann said.
Because the item was not on the agenda for action, only for discussion, no decision was made. District staff is recommending option four, and trustees seemed to be in agreement.
Mann said several factors influenced the staff’s recommendation of option four, including equity, teacher release time and investment in band instruments.
“Both the Cultural Initiatives grant and district goals address the issue of providing equal opportunities for all students,” she said. “The district will lose funding from the Cultural Initiatives grant if all fourth, fifth and sixth grade students do not have access to a visual or performing art experience.”
She also pointed out that fourth, fifth and sixth grade teachers have larger classes – no class size reduction at those grade levels – and benefit from the informal release time that music instruction for all students provides.
And, she said, without some kind of instrumental instruction, the district and music booster investment in instruments for fifth and sixth grade students would be wasted. The district currently has enough band instruments to provide use of an instrument to all fifth and sixth grade students.
Trustees will vote on the program options at the May 19 meeting.
