Hundreds plead with Neshaminy school board not to cut elementary music teacher position

Dozens of parents, students, teachers and alumni implored the Neshaminy School District Board of Directors on Tuesday to reverse a plan to eliminate an elementary music teacher position through attrition as the district finalizes its 2025–26 budget.

Speakers at the board’s public-comment period said the music program provides academic and social benefits that the district cannot replicate if staffing is reduced. “This program doesn’t just produce awards. It produces confidence, community, character, and leadership,” said Jerry Krause, a Langhorne resident and substitute teacher, adding that the district should “hire 1 more music teacher to replace the 1 retiring.”

The public outcry came after the district’s business-operations committee signaled it would not replace one retiring music teacher, a decision parents and music staff said would spread existing teachers thin and risk program quality. “We were told in the meeting this is because of declining numbers,” music teacher Pat Cassidy told the board. “10,000 students, 27 music teachers. That's a ratio of 1 to 370. If we get cut, we're down to 26.” Cassidy also told the board districtwide participation in band and orchestra has grown in recent years, which parents and teachers said undermines the rationale for a cut.

Why it matters: Residents said the music program serves as a preventive and restorative space for students, helps academic performance and builds community ties across schools in the district. Multiple speakers described students who improved attendance, mental health or academic outcomes after joining music ensembles, and several students and parents said the district’s national and regional awards reflect a high-performing program they want preserved.

Details of public comments and district response

- Parents and students: More than two dozen speakers — including parents from Levittown, Feasterville, Langhorne and Middletown and middle- and high-school students — described personal and research-based reasons the district should keep the position. Gianna Garcia, a Carl Sandburg Middle School student, said music “has given me ... a place where we can truly fit in.” Several parents said students gave up other events to come speak and perform to show support for the program.

- Teachers and staff: Pat Cassidy, who identified himself as a district music teacher, presented enrollment and staffing figures and urged a temporary stay of the decision pending further review. Cassidy said the district has 27 music teachers and that some are itinerant (traveling between schools) and that cutting one would raise workloads for the remaining staff.

- Community advocates and alumni: Speakers including Jennifer Hunter, a school counselor, and multiple alumni described long-term impacts of sustained elementary music instruction and urged trustees to view music staffing as an investment rather than an expense.

Board reaction and next steps

Board members acknowledged the volume and emotion of the comments. A board member who spoke after public comment thanked the students and parents and said their remarks would be considered before upcoming votes. Several routine agenda items were approved later in the meeting by unanimous 8–0 votes (see “Votes at a glance” below). The district’s business-operations committee had earlier discussed staffing decisions and said scheduling and implementation details would be worked out; multiple parents said the lack of specifics — for example, which schools or positions would be affected — left them unconvinced the district has a viable plan.

Numbers and clarifications cited at the meeting

- District enrollment cited by speakers: about 10,000 students (Pat Cassidy). - Music staffing cited: 27 total music teachers districtwide; proposed reduction would reduce that number to 26 if one retiring position is not filled (Pat Cassidy). - Recent participation trends cited by staff: speakers conveyed a 10% increase in band and a roughly 37% increase in orchestra participation over the past three years (Pat Cassidy). - Donation approved at the meeting (unrelated to staffing): $11,658.95 from Giant Food Stores to support food-security initiatives (board action recorded during the same meeting).

What the board did at the meeting

Board members passed routine motions on personnel, business operations and policy readings and accepted the donation mentioned above. No final, formal board vote to permanently eliminate the specific music position was recorded during this meeting; speakers were told scheduling and implementation details would be addressed in future budget work and subsequent public meetings.

Ending note

Residents urged the board to use district reserves or other budget adjustments to preserve the position, and several asked the board for transparency about which teacher or school would be affected if the district proceeds with attrition. Board members said they had heard the public comments and would take them into account as budget deliberations continue later this spring and summer.