Teachers and parents urge board to preserve AVID and music programs amid budget review

Several teachers and parents used the board’s public-comment period on Jan. 27 to urge the Provo City School District to preserve AVID programming and music/fine-arts offerings that they say support student engagement and instructional quality.

Julie Hoffman, an English and AVID teacher at Provo High School, told the board AVID supports district wellness and safety goals and helps teachers create welcoming classrooms. "AVID is more than post secondary outcomes for a few students," she said, describing AVID’s role in family engagement and professional development.

Christy Giblin, band director at Shoreline Middle School and president of the Provo Education Association, framed music and performing arts as essential to student attendance and holistic development: "Music teaches teamwork, creativity, self regulation, and grit," she said, and warned against cutting programs that make students want to come to school.

Other speakers—Ashley Hauge and Lorien Francis, teachers at Provo High—detailed AVID strategies in daily instruction and recommended district measures to reduce AVID-related costs (for example, pausing travel to conferences) while retaining membership and in-district professional development. Jenny Thurston, a district specialist, described districtwide cultural benefits from AVID and offered written follow-up materials.

Parent Tom Haymore described his family’s reliance on music programs and said he would support additional taxes to protect the arts if needed.

Board members recorded the comments and noted the budget review is ongoing; no policy changes or votes to cut AVID or music were taken at the meeting.