Dist. 204 groups rally for music program

Music is a way of life for many of Indian Prairie Unit District's 29,000 students, with a rich history of Grammy nods under their belts through the years.

So many parents and faculty were upset to learn last week that the elimination of one of the middle schools' most valued music courses were included in the district's plan to trim $21.4 million from next year's budget. Caught in the budget cuts were also 19 music teachers who will be released at the end of the year.

"Without a doubt the item that has gotten the highest interest is the elimination of middle school music technique," Superintendent Kathryn Birkett said.

In addition to the daily band and orchestra rehearsals, technique classes are scheduled on a rotational basis allowing for small group instruction to improve individual instrument performance techniques in groups of four to eight students. Band and orchestra students are scheduled into a technique class once per week in lieu of another class on their schedule. The rotation insures that no subject is missed more than once every four weeks.

Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Leadership Services Linda Rakestraw said the small number of students in the individual groups and the staff time it consumed made the technique program a target. Technique courses at the high schools are kept in place in the current proposal.

"Priority was given to keep our band, orchestra, chorus and general music classes in tact," Rakestraw said. "The enrollment in these middle school sections ranged from four to eight kids and involved te equivalent of 15 staff members."

District music officials have asked for more time to devise a schedule that would allow middle school students to continue with the program. But they called the task "insurmountable," given the release of the 19 staff members.

Faculty and parents alike also promised not to give up, offering solutions including making the program fee-based.

"Technique class is at the core of our instrumental music program. Students need to know how to play their instruments and when you have ensembles of 45 to 80 students it's impossible to teach specific techniques or to assess individuals in that setting," said Gregory Middle School band teacher Emily Binder. "Removing technique class or implementing a poor technique system would be like giving someone a brand-new car without a motor. It will look beautiful on the outside but we all know it's not going to run."

Waubonsie Valley Band Booster President Theresa Kowalski called the program the "lifeblood" of the district's music education program.

"The district high school have worked hard to create robust and comprehensive music programs that have been nationally recognized," she said. "We feel strongly that these music standards contribute to the overall growth and development of our students' success in college and life."

Birkett said the music department has been one of the most proactive groups who have worked for a solution for several months and is confident they'll find a way to keep the program.

"The music people have been working very hard at taking a look at some programmatic things that they can do to make this work," Birkett said. "It likely wont look like it did in the past. We're offering that it would be before and after school on a fee basis so we'll see what they come up with."