Hundreds of students, parents urge Greenwich BOE to restore music teacher role and keep band director at GHS

Dozens of students, parents and PTA leaders packed the Greenwich Board of Education meeting and urged the board to reverse a proposed reduction that would move longtime Greenwich High School band director Michael Breaux out of the high school and reduce the district’s music staff.

Students and family members described the band program as a “family” that relies on Breaux’s daily presence and coaching. “Please reinstate Mister Breaux and preserve the fifth FTE,” student Miller Fishback told the board, saying Breaux had helped rebuild the program after COVID disruptions. Multiple speakers said they feared consolidating music duties onto one teacher would force cuts to ensembles, the jazz festival and after‑school offerings.

The push came during an extended public comment period focused on one agenda item: staffing changes in the music department for next school year. Parents and student leaders said the board’s budget reductions and lower course requests had led administrators to propose shifting Breaux to a middle school and reducing the high school music staff from five full‑time…