Kutztown School Board unanimously approved to reduce the full-time High School Instrumental Music Position to part-time Dec. 2.
The reduction will go into effect for the start of the second semester of the 2014-15 school year. The official reduction is from full-time (1.0) to part-time (.41).
Board President Carl Ziegler stated that the decision was made due to a decrease in enrollment and participation in music courses at the high school, something that has been “very frustrating” for both the district’s administration and school board.
The motion was contested by a number of people in the audience.
Nancy Brooks, a member of the Kutztown Area School Music Association, initiated the conversation by stating the importance of musical education for students.
Brooks stated her belief that music has the ability to “fill a vacant space” in the lives of students and guide them in a positive developmental direction.
“I believe there is something very valuable in school music [education],” Brooks said.
Beth Sica, a mother of two students in the district, further praised the musical education programs and suggested finding an alternative solution to reducing the position’s standing.
“Music education has long been a strength in our district,” Sica said. “We should build upon our strengths, not diminish them.”
Throughout the public comments, Ziegler stressed that reducing the position to part-time will not negatively affect students’ learning opportunities.
“Our students will receive no less services than they did this past semester,” Ziegler stated.
Despite this reassurance, several members of the public asked the board to table the vote and instead make the reduction of the position a discussion item. The board ultimately decided to go ahead with their vote, however.
Ziegler said that the board is receptive to revisiting the topic in the future. Student participation and enrollment in music courses will play a very large factor in whether or not further discussion arises.
In other news, board member James Shrawder asked the board to re-visit the district’s concussion policies because of concerns regarding multiple concussions. Shrawder cited several articles that he read recently in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune and Washington Post about the link between concussions and serious health issues.
Shrawder stated that the district’s concussion policies fail to protect students against suffering multiple concussions. Instead, the policies only address recovering fully from a concussion before continuing participation in activities.
“We’re not protecting our kids from multiple concussions,” Shrawder said. “I think that’s something we should be pursuing.”
The board decided to pass along the concerns about multiple concussions to the Policy & Curriculum sub-committee, which is scheduled to have a first reading of the district’s concussion policies at their next meeting on Dec. 22 at 6 p.m. in the High School Library.
There were no major changes to the structure of the board or its committees during the reorganization meeting held before the start of the normal board meeting. Carl Ziegler will return as the board president, with Randy Burch also returning as vice-president.
The board’s next meeting will take place on Dec. 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the High School Library.
