Committee tables proposal to add $25,000 equipment allotment for high school bands

The Ouachita Parish Finance Committee discussed a proposal to add an equipment allotment for high school bands and voted to table the proposal so staff can return with more detailed allocation options.

Regina Mecas, staff member, told the committee there is a funding disparity between middle and high school band support. “We fund $25,000 per middle school on an 8‑year rotation,” Mecas said, and high schools currently receive uniform funding on a 10‑year rotation but not a corresponding equipment allotment. She proposed filling the five open years in the high school rotation with a $25,000 equipment allotment to each of the five high schools, funded from the M&O budget.

Mecas and committee members noted the cost of larger instruments is high—some brass instruments can cost $4,000–$5,000 and even so‑called “cheap” instruments can top $1,000—so a flat $25,000 allocation might not cover major needs. Committee members suggested a student‑weighted allocation that mirrors the uniform schedule or otherwise adjusts for band size.

Robbie Freeman, identified in the discussion as a band director and district music coordinator, had previously visited board members and staff about band needs; Mecas said she had discussed the proposal with him. Committee members asked for a more detailed plan and Mecas agreed to return with options; the committee made a motion and second to table the item and revisit it at the next finance committee meeting in August.

No final dollar allocation was approved; the item remains under consideration. Mecas said staff can prepare alternative allocations (flat rate versus per‑student) and bring them back for committee recommendation to the board.