Drumline’s fate in hands of Upper Darby School Board
UPPER DARBY >> The Upper Darby School Board wants more information before taking any action on how to potentially revive the world champion indoor drumline program at the high school this year.
The lack of direction leading up to the board’s Tuesday night education and pupil services committee meeting for either revamping the prolific, competition-based drumline or starting its planned successor in a new percussion ensemble will have the board revisiting the topic at next month’s committee meeting.
“I would like to have some kind of a plan, I haven’t heard of a plan,” said school board President Judy Gentile. “It seems like things are kind of floating around … (we need) something that we can solidly talk about.”
Gentile’s sentiments were echoed by board Vice President Ken Rucci.
“There are a lot of questions here I’m not sure of,” Rucci said. “I think we all understand the passion and where we are, but where do we go next?”
The root of the problem, which is leading to the board’s unprecedented involvement on the matter, has to do with policy and what the non-district-sponsored drumline classifies as an extracurricular activity, a club or something else.
Deemed an extracurricular activity on the school district’s website, that makes the district responsible for the availability of school facilities, supplies, equipment and assignment of staff in accordance with the Equal Access Act as written in district policy 122.
The district does not provide any money to the program but does provide the aforementioned essentials.
The approximately $50,000 budget the drumline uses every school year is supported by the Upper Darby Band and Orchestra Parents organization and private donations, paying for drum tech positions, transportation to competitions, props and other materials.
High school music teacher Victor Cummings receives payment from the district in the amount of $4,880 (per 2015) in extra pay for duty and responsibility as the band director, which includes the marching band and drumline.
The 50-member advanced drumline was to be merged into a more inclusive ensemble back in April, a move proposed Cummings and approved by the high school music department and high school administration.
District-level administrators and the school board did not need to act on it because it is not an educational program loss.
So far, nothing has been specified on what the makeup of the percussion ensemble will look like, from the potential number of members to who will be directing it. Figures tossed around at the meeting said the ensemble could consist of three to 20 students.
The public, which has been overwhelmingly in support of keeping the drumline, thinks the ensemble isn’t going to fly.
“I don’t understand what the new ensemble is. It doesn’t sounds like it has really taken off. It sounds like an aloof idea and a way to keep everybody quiet while we eliminate the drumline,” said drumline parent Colleen Hart. “I’ve never seen a music department fight so hard to eliminate a program before, so I have to question where that comes from.”
District bus driver Leo Sides said he has seen involvement dwindle in marching band, another music extracurricular activity that has shared members with the drumline.
“As of right now, I only have six pieces of equipment going in (the marching band trailer). All the rest, the kids dropped out because they’re gonna lose drumline so they don’t have any competition in this,” he said. “They had 20 kids last year and now there’s only six this year. That is it. It’s not a good decision to get rid of it.”
Bob Snyder said the loss of the drumline is affecting high school marching band enrollment due to “ill feelings”.
“I think with this percussion ensemble the participation is going to be even less, and I really don’t see it taking off,” said Snyder.
The board is going to look into the boundary of the policies and find a solution within reason allowing drumline to be reinstated or stay dissolved and report back on Sept. 27.