District music teacher describes dramatic growth, urges continued support
Summary
A music teacher told the board the elementary and middle-school music program has grown from roughly 30–40 students to about 51 in an earlier year and now reports participation 'up to 120,' and described educational benefits and plans for expansion.
During the presentations portion of the meeting, an elementary/middle-school music teacher led a short student performance and described rapid enrollment growth in the district music program.
"When I arrived, I inherited a pretty healthy music program," the teacher said, describing a band that grew from "somewhere around 30 or 40 kids" to 51 by the end of a prior year and reporting current participation "up to 120." The teacher framed music instruction as benefiting cognition, problem-solving and social skills and outlined plans for a middle-school spring concert, a multi-level middle-school band program and a proposed jazz band in the winter months.
The teacher explained basic musical concepts for the audience and credited Middle School music teacher Andrew Newcomer for recent middle-school program developments. The presentation emphasized logistics constraints: the program is approaching the limits of available space and scheduling as participation increases.
The board acknowledged the performance and presentation; no formal action or funding decision tied to the music program was recorded in the meeting transcript provided.
