Strings Program Spared From Being Cut

Concerns, comments and questions during Tuesday evening’s Board of Education meeting concerning cutting the 4th and 5th grade orchestra program have caused the board to take the program off the chopping block.

The budget workshop meeting had the highest attendance of any of the preceding workshops with the majority of participants there to show support for the strings program including many high school seniors who had previously participated in the program.

“I played with the orchestra. I am here to support the program,” said senior Rob Schenke.

The program was part of a package of cuts that are expected to save the district $60,000 including the elimination of bowling off campus as part of physical education.

“I can live without the bowling,” said board trustee Steve Weber.

The board almost immediately stated their distaste for removing the strings program and essentially killed it without first needing to hear from the supporters who came out to oppose the cut.

“I am not in favor of eliminating that program,” said board trustee Marie Goldstein. Board members echoed the sentiment asking school superintendent Dr. Susan Agruso if they could look elsewhere for ways to save money.

“We can’t let this program go,” said board trustee Liz Barrett.

This year potentially produced some of the best results of the orchestra program yet with two all-state musicians who were string players and an Intel semifinalist and class Salutatorian, Ishwayra Ananthabhotla who is a string player.

“Students of music, who spend more than three years in a performing ensemble score on average 200 points higher on the SAT's then their non-music student peers,” said Ellen O’Keefe whose daughter Caitlin was one of the two string players who made all-state. Her daughter has been accepted into the Crane School of Music and has hopes of one day becoming an orchestra teacher.

It appears to be back to the drawing board for school administrators who agreed to keep the program in place but wondered where the money would come from.

Some other ideas to shave money from the budget were rejected by the board as well including the removal of 2 custodian positions and a maintenance person.

"I am hesitant to consider any personnel cuts in this area," said Weber. "We have the responsibility to ensure a safe environment for the kids. We have taken on all the risk I am willing to put up with," he said.

“We need to find $250,00. The tax levy is over 3% now,” said Agruso who began the meeting with a very frank look at the state of the budget.

“There is nothing but pain in what we are talking about tonight,” said Agruso.