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District presents Music and Fine Arts program overview and budget to board
Summary
Dr. Diana Cook, the district’s Director of Music and Fine Arts, presented program achievements, course offerings and a budget overview, highlighting staffing, supplies and external grants and scholarships.
Dr. Diana Cook, Director of Music and Fine Arts for the Middle Country Central School District, gave a program overview and budget presentation to the board highlighting student achievements, course offerings, staffing and line-item needs.
Cook said the department covers K–12 music and art plus theater for grades 6–12 and described co-curricular ensembles, AP and college-credit offerings, and community partnerships. She noted district students attend NISMA All-State and other honors ensembles, and cited recent local recognitions including Long Island Scholar-Artist selections and county art exhibitions.
Cook provided staffing and budget figures the board was given: about 18.45 art teachers and 28 music/theater teachers, with salary and benefits totaling roughly $8,500,000, serving approximately 9,000 students K–12. She explained art supplies and equipment repair are recurring supply needs; music requires instrument repair, reeds and music purchases, and piano tuning. Cook said textbook/music purchases and AV/periodical costs and piano tuning together total about $131,000 annually.
Course offerings described included K–5 general music, fourth-grade band/orchestra/chorus starts, middle-school daily or alternate-day instruction depending on grade, and high-school options including AP Studio Art, AP Art History and college-level music theory through Suffolk County Community College (up to 14 college credits). Co-curricular offerings include jazz band, chamber orchestra, Tri-M Music Honor Society and National Art Honor Society. Cook also detailed successful PTA-backed arts and education programming and Friends of Music scholarships totaling about $10,800 annually for graduating seniors.
Cook used photographs of student work and concerts to illustrate program reach and thanked PTAs and the community for support. The presentation included announcements (district art show on May 3) and references to recent student trips and festival participation. The board did not take formal action on the presentation; it was informational.
