Hersey trims music program
Wearing blue jeans and a Grateful Dead tie-dyed T-shirt, Dan Cimo defended guitar classes at Hersey High School and fine arts programs everywhere on Thursday.
"When I started high school, I like, didn't know what to expect," Cimo told the District 214 school board. "But art was popular. There were football players in the choir program. Cutting guitar will ruin these types of creative people."
Despite the objections of a few students and several parents, all guitar classes at Hersey High will be eliminated next year, but the school's orchestra program should remain unchanged, said Superintendent David Schuler at the meeting.
Two weeks ago, about 100 Hersey parents protested the proposed move to cut all guitar classes and reduce the orchestra director position from full-time to part-time next year.
On Thursday, Schuler announced that Hersey's current orchestra director Bill Baar will be transferred to Elk Grove High School to teach orchestra full time and a new teacher will be hired at Hersey to teach orchestra part time and history part time.
The incoming Hersey teacher majored in violin performance and history at Northwestern University, Schuler said.
"(Baar) requested a transfer and it was granted," said Schuler after Thursday's meeting.
However, the move upset several parents and students who will miss the guitar classes and fear the orchestra program will suffer.
Hersey student Glennah McMahon's voice cracked when she talked about orchestra.
"I am one of those students who wakes up and the only class I look forward to is orchestra," said McMahon, wearing her orchestra shirt. "I'm torn up about this. This hurts so much."
Sue Berge teachers orchestra at Prospect Heights Elementary School District 23, a District 214 feeder school.
"I just don't know if this new person will have the time and energy to do two jobs," Berge said. "It will have a serious impact on the Hersey music program."
Ann Forman teaches orchestra at River Trails Middle School in Mount Prospect.
"My students have a greater musical expectation when they get to high school, not less," Forman said.
About $2.5 million needs to be cut from the 2008-09 budget, Schuler said.
The cuts are necessary because of higher costs, the delay in the state approving its budget and nonfunded mandates from the state and federal governments, he said.