Dist. 204 still trying to save technique program from chopping block

After a third consecutive heated meeting to discuss potential changes to the $21.4 million budget cuts the district has proposed, Indian Prairie board members remain focused solely on crafting a scaled-down, cost-effective model of the endangered technique program.

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 and the classes are scheduled on a rotating basis.

Currently, 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.

The most recent plan to save the program, Plan B as they call it, needs more work but board President Curt Bradshaw said it's "better" than the original plan that would have killed the individualized instruction all together.

Plan B would require the reinstatement of four music staff members and the implementation of 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.

Board member Dawn DeSart said music and the ability to produce it with the award-winning style the district is accustomed to, is priceless, except for the $1.26 million price tag she put on that could be recouped with either administrative wage rollbacks and other cost-saving moves.

Board members Alka Tyle and Cathy Piehl agreed the "value of music is unquestionable" but not at the risk of students being pulled out of their core classes at a rate of more than once every six weeks.

Educators say they have about five weeks to find a happy solution for all involved in order to be ready for next school year. So they agreed to work up until the last moments with parents, other teachers and the community to find a way to make the program cost effective and while keeping students in their core classes as much as possible and will report back.

"If someone has an idea, I don't care what they teach, said Mark Metzger. "That idea is welcome."

Other portions of the $21.4 million austerity plan, including reducing the central office budgets by a total of 10 percent, renegotiating software licenses, not watering the lawns, eliminating towel service in P.E. classes, moving to a four-day workweek for the summer and cutting conference travel by 20 percent will continue to be implemented since no board members have voiced opposition to any cuts outside of saving the technique program.