Hoke County High band seeks district funding after D.C. clinic invite; board pledges to review

Jeremy Rawls, band director at Hoke County High School, urged the Hoke County Schools board on Nov. 8 to provide dedicated funding for the school’s band program to cover instrument purchases and repairs, uniforms, staffing and travel while the band grows.

"Every dollar we raise is put into maintaining the program, but we don't have enough funds to grow the program," Rawls told the board. He said the marching band currently includes about 95 students and is projected to grow to 110–115 next year, and that the band has been awarded one of eight national clinic invitations that would take place in Washington, D.C., in April. Rawls said the cost for that trip is $799 per student, excluding bus and lodging.

Why it matters: Rawls said many marching instruments — sousaphones, marching French horns and specialized percussion — are high-cost items (he described ranges such as $7,000–$9,000 for some sousaphones and $3,000–$8,000 for certain French horns) that individual families cannot reasonably purchase. He listed recurring maintenance and repair costs, including annual sonic cleaning and routine repairs, and said travel costs for the previous year totaled $10,295.87; projected mileage and travel for the coming schedule was presented as approximately $16,001.87. He also described extensive staff hours for camps, seasonal practice and competition preparation.

Rawls said fundraising currently covers many routine expenses but is not sufficient for growth or for one‑time opportunities. "Every dollar that we raise is kinda like in one hand and then out the other," he said, adding that repairs and cleaning absorb fundraising proceeds. He asked for district assistance and provided the board with a written proposal and budget.

Board response and next steps: Board members expressed support and concern that a previously discussed arrangement — in which a portion of certain game receipts would support the band — may not have been implemented. One board member asked the finance officer to verify the status of that arrangement. Another board member said the district should identify funds rather than shifting money between student groups: "I think we can find it at our level. We could find those funds," the member said.

Madam Chair asked administration to follow up. A board member formally requested that the superintendent and administration "proceed forward to figure something out" and to ensure the issue does not recur.

What was not decided: The board did not commit a specific dollar amount at the Nov. 8 meeting. Rawls said he could provide a fuller proposal and confirmed the D.C. travel dates as April 14–18; he said the request for that trip was separate from the unit budget he provided that night. The board asked Rawls to share the proposal and for administration to report back when it had identified possible funding sources.