Laredo ISD fine arts readies marching season, requests funding for uniforms, equipment and pre-UIL festival

Laredo ISD fine arts staff briefed the Student Services Committee on marching-show themes for Martin, Nixon and Sierra high schools, plans to host a pre-UIL marching festival Oct. 4 and requested district funding this year for music rights, props, podiums and updated sound equipment to remain competitive at region and area competitions.

Fred Rodriguez, the district's fine arts coordinator, said all three high-school bands began summer preparations and may perform at UIL Region contests and area competitions that include prelims and finals on the same day. "These are the shows that we have, for Martin High School, they're gonna be having ‘Becoming’... For Nixon High School, they're doing '1 World, 1 Heart'... And for Sierra High School, their show is called 'The Path Within,'" Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez told trustees the district plans to host an LISD pre-UIL marching festival on Oct. 4, with bands performing in the morning to mimic UIL-area timing so students can experience multiple performances and get separate judges' feedback. "We are hosting our LISD pre UIL marching festival on 10/04/2025," he said.

Rodriguez asked the board to consider funding early purchases for the 2026 marching season — music licensing, drill writing and related production costs — noting that prominent composers and drill writers have limited client capacity and region exclusivity rules can limit show availability if districts delay contracting. "Funding for the 2026 season is really crucial, in November, December of this year," Rodriguez said. He also detailed equipment and safety needs, including 6-foot drum-major podiums and wireless microphones, and tied those items to UIL judging rubric components (visual, general effect and music) that affect competitiveness.

Rodriguez also outlined summer camps the district sponsored — a Limelight Spirit technique camp and color guard weapon-line instruction — and said dance and color-guard students from comprehensive and early-college high schools attended. Staff estimated savings from hosting a district pre-UIL festival instead of sending bands out of town, telling trustees the approach saves roughly $7,300 per school in out-of-town competition costs for bus and meals.

Trustees asked for an itemized cost list and prioritized funding plan for the requested items. Rodriguez said staff will provide an itemized estimate for directors and the board to review and prioritize.