Lake Zurich fundraisers finish tough task
Following a few fast-paced months of fundraising, some organizers are feeling vindication now that the school board has committed to reinstating their programs.
In February, $4 million in recommended budget cuts were announced in Lake Zurich Unit District 95, including the fourth and fifth grade band and orchestra program. Since then, the community raised $206,507 for all the programs, with about $154,000 of that coming from music program supporters.
"We're absolutely elated with the commitment that (the board) made," said Janet Barron, co-chairman of Save Lake Zurich Music.
The board committed to funding the band and orchestra program at 2.5 full-time equivalent employees (FTE), and will use some of the money raised to bring it up to 3.2 FTE.
The program currently has 4 FTE and it would have cost $200,000 to be reinstated at that level. The board changed the program to operate with 3.2 FTE to lower that amount to $160,000.
Barron said she would have liked to see the program restored as it is today. Board member John Kropf has been a critic of the program being on the cut-list from the beginning.
"I firmly believe that even though some people may call the music program curricular but not core curricular, in my mind's eye, if we have curricular programs they are the very last things that should be cut," he said. "Kids who have skills in the arts ... this is core to them."
Kropf said he was encouraged when the board put it in the top tier for reinstatement. Recommended cuts are divided into four tiers; the board committed to reinstating the first tier Thursday.
The board will foot a large portion of the bill, meaning there will be leftover money from donations collected by Save Lake Zurich Music. Barron said she would like to see this money allow the board to hire back a part-time assistant band director for the high school.
Without an assistant, band director Josh Thompson told the board, he will be in charge of more than 200 students outside, by himself.
"I'm sad that we had to go through all this," Thompson said. "They definitely showed that they value elementary music. I'm glad that they put it back in tier one and it was one of the first things they brought back. That makes me feel good."