Dist. 204 staff, parents lobby to keep valued music class
Indian Prairie school officials played host to an open mic of sorts Monday, and 15 people took the stage to save one of the middle schools' most valued music courses.
The officials booked the board meeting room from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday to let the public speak about the district's budget proposal, as it comprises $21.4 million in cuts, including 145 teachers and the technique classes in the music program.
District music curriculum coordinator and Neuqua Valley Associate Principal Mark Truckenbrod introduced a plan to save four music teachers' jobs and a "do-more-with-less" version of the middle school music technique classes. It would reduce the middle school technique program to a before- or after-school program.
The others speaking up supported the move.
"So many people now are getting the idea that the cutting of technique classes will have a detrimental impact on the instrumental programs in our district, as well as the individual development of their skills," Fry Elementary general music teacher Mary Whitney said.
In addition to the daily band and orchestra rehearsals, technique classes provide instruction for groups of four to eight students to improve individual instrumental performance. The classes are scheduled on a rotating basis.
Band and orchestra students are scheduled into a technique class once per week in lieu of another class on their schedule. The rotation ensures no subject is missed more than once every four weeks.
Truckenbrod's proposal, which board members aren't expected to approve before the end of the school year, requires the reinstatement of four music staff members and adds a $30 fee for all 3,500 instrumental music students in grades six through 12 to assist the district with additional costs.
The plan also would reschedule the three-week introduction to the music program fifth-grade students take from September to January.
The typical technique class size of four to eight students also would likely double.
Neuqua Valley sophomore chorus and orchestra student Mickey Teriep, himself a product of the middle school technique program, also called for the program to stay in place.
"I completely understand the absolute necessity to make major cuts, even some to our award-winning music program. However, I think it's imperative to keep the technique program intact," he said. "I developed a love for music during these years that I would have never gained, if not for the personal connection I gained while working with my middle school directors during my technique period."
Nearly 200 more comments the district had collected via e-mail and in person since the March 22 announcement of cuts prompted Superintendent Kathy Birkett to direct administrators to work with music department leaders to come up with a way to save the technique program.
Monday night, Truckenbrod said he believes they have developed a "meet-in-the-middle" plan. Truckenbrod said the tiered proposal was designed to allow for portions of it to be gradually reinstated should the district find itself in a better financial situation.
"We all hope we have sunnier times and we can look at what we're going to bring back and how we're going to bring it back," Birkett said. "I would think our best move at that point would be to bring those leaders back to the table and ask them what we do here."
Board members said they appreciated the music department's approach to working at a solution that saves a few jobs and, more importantly, keeps a valuable academic program intact.
"It sounds reasonable, and I just have to say that the compassion our community has for music is overwhelming, and I really appreciate that the great minds of the district came together and worked out a seemingly workable solution," board member Christine Vickers said.