Proposed budget cuts strike sour note for music enthusiasts

Students, parents favor keeping lessons intact

While Mars Area officials do the final tweaking of the district’s 2018-19 budget, parents and students pleaded with the school board Tuesday not to balance the budget by cutting band classes.

The board could vote next week on a preliminary budget that raises real estate taxes by 2.4 percent from 99 mills to 101.376 mills.

“I doubt that the final version of the budget will be exactly the same as the tentative budget,” said board President J. Dayle Ferguson. “We hope and plan to take action next week, but we have until June 30 to pass a final budget.”

The tentative budget calls for the addition of an elementary literacy intervention specialist and a guidance counselor. It also calls for not replacing some retiring teachers and eliminating extra music lessons in middle school. Band lessons in middle school include a full class, plus pull-out lessons for small groups of students.

Several students and parents spoke against the proposed cuts.

Jacob Smith, who was wearing a sweatshirt proclaiming that he is a 2018 Pennsylvania All-State Musician, said the pull-out lessons help students advance faster than just the weekly large-group rehearsal. “Removal of these lessons will prove to be a significant issue in the future,” he said.

Ruth O’Donnell, president of the marching band boosters, said participation in music programs has grown from 284 students in 2010 to 449 students now. In 2010, the staff to student ratio in band was 71:1. If another music position is eliminated, with the growing numbers, the ratio willbe 224:1.

“Our program is growing in