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Students, staff and families press board on music funding, CREA program and virtual school access
Summary
Eighteen public commentators raised several issues including underfunding of high school instrumental music, a student-led proposal to rebrand and market MCPS fine arts, concerns from staff at CREA (Kreia) about funding, staffing and classification, and multiple callers urging reinstatement or funding of a public virtual school.
At the Feb. 5 meeting, 18 members of the public addressed the board in person and via recorded testimony on multiple topics, including arts funding, the status of the CREA (Kreia) program, sustainability, and virtual learning access.
Instrumental music and fine arts: Several student speakers urged the board to prioritize funding for instrumental music programs and school instruments, citing worn and unsanitary instruments, lengthy repair turnaround times and out-of-pocket costs for repairs. Students proposed a countywide rebranding of MCPS fine arts with a central performance website and a 10-show fine-arts pass to generate ticket revenue for programs; a student internship group offered to partner with the district on the idea.
CREA / Kreia program concerns: Multiple classroom staff and paraeducators from CREA/Kreia testified that the evening program serves emergent multilingual learners and older students at high risk of not meeting graduation requirements. Speakers described involuntary staff transfers, a lack of nursing and special education services in the evening program for students with medical needs, and worry that reclassification as a program rather than a school leaves CREA underfunded and understaffed. Staff and paraeducators asked that CREA staff be involved in planning for any CREA Plus expansion and urged that the program be treated with the staffing and funding of a school.
Virtual school access: Families and advocates urged the board to restore a comprehensive public virtual school model after the Virtual Academy's closure. Testimony from parents and statewide advocacy groups described virtual options as a lifeline for students with disabilities, medical needs, or circumstances that make in-person attendance unsafe or impractical. Speakers said the BLP (Blended Learning Program) did not replicate the full services of the previous virtual school and urged the district to either fund a local virtual school or use existing per-pupil allocations to serve students within MCPS rather than expecting the state to provide a separate solution.
Sustainability: Students and community members urged retaining the division of sustainability and compliance. Staff later said the sustainability team would remain intact but be reorganized under the Department of Maintenance; the district told the board the work would be continued under a different reporting structure.
Ending: The board heard the testimony, asked clarifying questions and directed staff follow-up on several items including sustainability placement, fine arts outreach, CREA staff involvement in planning, and summer program planning. Many public commenters asked the board to adopt or fund long-term solutions rather than interim ones.
