MONROE - Hold off on the requiem for the district's fourth band instructor position - at least for now.
Despite a recommendation from Superintendent Larry Brown and the district administrative team not to add the position into the 2009-2010 budget, the school board has left the door open for more discussion on the matter and possibly an encore performance for the fourth instructor.
The issue is back before the school board after budget cuts forced the district to eliminate the position for the 2006-2007 school year. A group calling itself Community Helping Instrumental Music Education, or CHIME, formed to solicit donations and fund the fourth position. The group pledged to raise $140,000 to fund the teacher's salary and benefits for three years; after that, the district would have to decide to either fund the position or return to having three instructors.
The group raised $120,000, which has been used to pay the salary for Dan Henkel, a second instrumental music instructor at Monroe High School. There also are two band instructors at Monroe Middle School.
Earlier this month, the school board issued a nonrenewal notice to Henkel in preparation for the possibility the position won't be reinstated.
CHIME, in its initial proposal, stressed the importance of retaining the fourth position. It cited figures showing about 400 students involved in the band program at MMS and MHS, representing 24 percent of high school students and 36 percent of middle school youth.
Band students benefit from having private lessons from teachers, and are eligible to participate regardless of grades or ability to pay instrumental rental fees, CHIME said.
A handful of current band students made an impassioned plea to the school board Monday, as senior Reuben Arnold read a petition signed by about 140 fellow musicians.
The petition acknowledged the school board's difficult task in juggling budget issues, but eloquently presented several points in favor of keeping the fourth band position. Not having the fourth teacher will be "extremely detrimental" to a quality program, as remaining instructors will be "stretched to the breaking point" to maintain their schedule of teaching, private lessons, instrument maintenance and leading the pep band and jazz ensembles, Arnold said.
The fact that CHIME was able to raise $120,000 to fund the position for three years indicates "our community has given its support," he said.
Because of these reasons, the students "respectfully asked" the board to retain the position.
Student Nicole Heinen, a band and choir student, also spoke in favor of keeping Henkel's position. "It's amazing what Mr. Henkel has done," she said.
But Brown also had reasons for not recommending the position be added to the 2009-2010 budget.
The district administrative team has been considering the position as it reviews its budget priority list for the coming year, he said. Other objectives, including maintaining a K-5 instructional facilitator position and adding a fifth-grade teacher, have been identified as the district's top two priorities; the band instructor was not included on the list.
One reason is declining enrollment. Based on registration, there will be 346 students in the band program next year, down from 373 this year. Even though those numbers may fluctuate as students change course selections for next year, any increase will be insignificant, Monroe High School Principal Mark Burandt said.
Given those numbers, Monroe has a 86.5-to-1 student/teacher ratio in the band department. If the district has just three band teachers, and if those teachers are shifted to have 1.5 teachers at each school, the ratio would be 93.33-to-1. Brown added there has been no discussion yet how staffing would be handled at the schools with just three teachers.
The average student/teacher ratio in band programs at other Badger Conference schools this year is 110.18-to-1, Brown said. "We'd still be substantially below this year's average" with three instructors, he said.
Brown also pointed out that in its initial proposal, CHIME said "potentially three of the present band directors will retire, allowing budget savings by hiring new, less experienced directors."
"We have not had those retirements," Brown said. He added he didn't believe any cost savings by hiring new teachers would be long-term as they gained experience and moved up the pay scale.
School board members offered their own differing takes on the position.
The fact that the community put up $120,000 to fund the position for three years indicates the desire to maintain the quality of the band program, said Pam Wyss. "We would be remiss if we didn't have more of a review at the board level" on the issue, she said.
Amy Bazley agreed CHIME's ability to raise funds to support the position is significant, especially in a "fiscally conservative" community like Monroe, and warrants further discussion.
But to Larry Eakins, the fact that CHIME hasn't come forward to offer continued funding also speaks clearly. However, "I'm willing to have more discussion," he said.
There is no timeline for a decision on the band position, but as soon as possible is preferable, Brown said.
"Obviously, these things are never easy," Brown said.
Despite a recommendation from Superintendent Larry Brown and the district administrative team not to add the position into the 2009-2010 budget, the school board has left the door open for more discussion on the matter and possibly an encore performance for the fourth instructor.
The issue is back before the school board after budget cuts forced the district to eliminate the position for the 2006-2007 school year. A group calling itself Community Helping Instrumental Music Education, or CHIME, formed to solicit donations and fund the fourth position. The group pledged to raise $140,000 to fund the teacher's salary and benefits for three years; after that, the district would have to decide to either fund the position or return to having three instructors.
The group raised $120,000, which has been used to pay the salary for Dan Henkel, a second instrumental music instructor at Monroe High School. There also are two band instructors at Monroe Middle School.
Earlier this month, the school board issued a nonrenewal notice to Henkel in preparation for the possibility the position won't be reinstated.
CHIME, in its initial proposal, stressed the importance of retaining the fourth position. It cited figures showing about 400 students involved in the band program at MMS and MHS, representing 24 percent of high school students and 36 percent of middle school youth.
Band students benefit from having private lessons from teachers, and are eligible to participate regardless of grades or ability to pay instrumental rental fees, CHIME said.
A handful of current band students made an impassioned plea to the school board Monday, as senior Reuben Arnold read a petition signed by about 140 fellow musicians.
The petition acknowledged the school board's difficult task in juggling budget issues, but eloquently presented several points in favor of keeping the fourth band position. Not having the fourth teacher will be "extremely detrimental" to a quality program, as remaining instructors will be "stretched to the breaking point" to maintain their schedule of teaching, private lessons, instrument maintenance and leading the pep band and jazz ensembles, Arnold said.
The fact that CHIME was able to raise $120,000 to fund the position for three years indicates "our community has given its support," he said.
Because of these reasons, the students "respectfully asked" the board to retain the position.
Student Nicole Heinen, a band and choir student, also spoke in favor of keeping Henkel's position. "It's amazing what Mr. Henkel has done," she said.
But Brown also had reasons for not recommending the position be added to the 2009-2010 budget.
The district administrative team has been considering the position as it reviews its budget priority list for the coming year, he said. Other objectives, including maintaining a K-5 instructional facilitator position and adding a fifth-grade teacher, have been identified as the district's top two priorities; the band instructor was not included on the list.
One reason is declining enrollment. Based on registration, there will be 346 students in the band program next year, down from 373 this year. Even though those numbers may fluctuate as students change course selections for next year, any increase will be insignificant, Monroe High School Principal Mark Burandt said.
Given those numbers, Monroe has a 86.5-to-1 student/teacher ratio in the band department. If the district has just three band teachers, and if those teachers are shifted to have 1.5 teachers at each school, the ratio would be 93.33-to-1. Brown added there has been no discussion yet how staffing would be handled at the schools with just three teachers.
The average student/teacher ratio in band programs at other Badger Conference schools this year is 110.18-to-1, Brown said. "We'd still be substantially below this year's average" with three instructors, he said.
Brown also pointed out that in its initial proposal, CHIME said "potentially three of the present band directors will retire, allowing budget savings by hiring new, less experienced directors."
"We have not had those retirements," Brown said. He added he didn't believe any cost savings by hiring new teachers would be long-term as they gained experience and moved up the pay scale.
School board members offered their own differing takes on the position.
The fact that the community put up $120,000 to fund the position for three years indicates the desire to maintain the quality of the band program, said Pam Wyss. "We would be remiss if we didn't have more of a review at the board level" on the issue, she said.
Amy Bazley agreed CHIME's ability to raise funds to support the position is significant, especially in a "fiscally conservative" community like Monroe, and warrants further discussion.
But to Larry Eakins, the fact that CHIME hasn't come forward to offer continued funding also speaks clearly. However, "I'm willing to have more discussion," he said.
There is no timeline for a decision on the band position, but as soon as possible is preferable, Brown said.
"Obviously, these things are never easy," Brown said.