Finding More In Budget, School Board Reinstates Fourth Grade Orchestra

The strings are back.

As budget increases for next year fell south of what the Board of Education originally intended, the fourth grade elementary school string instrumental program took a hit, sacrificing one full-time position for $62,300 in the budget.

But Monday night, the board approved the reinstatement of strings to the fourth grade schedule after recent updates to textbook requests and line items showed a decrease in projections by about $50 thousand.

"We looked at our needs for next year and our projections for next year," superintendent Deborah Low said. "It's coming in better and there's a little more room."

The program was at the top of the priority list for reinstatement if indeed the funds were found -- two other programs at the school, including German language and Family & Consumer Science, still .

Assistant superintendant Pat Michael said that 99 percent of the students (100 percent in some schools) are involved in instrumental music programs.

"There's been a real push for that," Michael said. "We're a real musical town."

Music has been so much of a push, perhaps, that instrumental programs have caused scheduling conflicts at the elementary schools, Michael said. This was part of the logic behind the original cut.

From general music classes to chorus to band or orchestra, students are scheduled for up to four music classes per week. Most students are also pulled out of academic time for an additional music lesson.

Music therefore comprises up to two hours and 40 minutes of class time per week.

"Our goal is to make available both 'specials' and the academics," Michael and the principals wrote in a message to Low. "Teachers and principals are feeling the crunch to adequately address reading, writing, math, social studies and science within the current schedule."

According to the memo, students receive approximately 55-60 hours of social studies in a year compared to approximately 85-90 hours of music.

With the reinstatement of the strings teaching position, the instrumental classes will continue to meet, while the administration is looking to combine general music and chorus into one class per week.

"State standards are more rigorous than they used to be, and it's putting stress on the teachers and kids," Michael said. "And we only have a certain amount of time in the day."

Another option on the table, Michael said, is to possible incorporate a before- or after-school music program like many other districts.

At the board meeting, several elementary school students spoke highly of the fourth grade orchestra program and of their instructor. In April, when it was clear that the program was on the chopping block, several students played their instruments for the board during the time for public comments.

Board member Paul Sutherland also mentioned there was an "overwhelming" number of emails regarding the issue, including both orchestra and chorus.

"I'm so glad to hear that it may be coming back," Branchville Elementary School fourth grader Dane Phippen said to the board. "I hope the next fourth graders get to play in the orchestra the way I did."