Spring‑Ford Music Association urges district to create sustainable transportation plan for instruments

Christina Sergio, president of the Spring‑Ford Music Association, told the board on Oct. 27 that transportation for large instruments and equipment has become the program’s chief operational challenge and asked the district to develop a sustainable, district‑supported transportation plan.

"Over the year over the past year, our budget has increased by 10%, yet our transportation costs have risen over 55," Sergio said. She said parent volunteers contribute more than 5,600 hours and drive roughly 6,000 miles annually to transport instruments and equipment. The association tows two large trailers (26 and 30 feet) that can weigh as much as 9,700 pounds when loaded, plus a rented box truck.

Sergio said the association previously relied on district‑owned vans to tow equipment. Midseason this fall, the vans were no longer available and the district began arranging rentals at a location about 30 minutes away, which has added staff and volunteer time to arrange pickups and returns. "This is just not sustainable for our volunteers or our educators," she said, and asked the district to partner with SFMA on options such as a dedicated district vehicle, reliable rental partnerships, or other arrangements to reduce burdens on volunteers and staff.

Superintendent Dr. Scanlon said administration is aware of transportation challenges and would follow up. The transcript records a district response that administration would be in touch to coordinate next steps and that materials or proposals could be forwarded to the board for consideration.

No formal motion or vote was recorded on this request during the meeting.