Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Arts Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Merced board approves $548,375 contract to expand after‑school choir program led by Jenny Samson
Summary
The Merced City School District on Aug. 12 approved a one‑year, $548,375 contract with Create (led by Jenny Samson) to expand choral and in‑class music programming to seven elementary sites this school year, funded chiefly with ELOP and supplemental/concentration dollars; trustees pressed staff on cost, staffing and enrollment projections before the vote.
The Merced City School District Board of Education voted Aug. 12 to approve a one‑year contract with Create, the nonprofit led by Jenny Samson, to expand after‑school choral and in‑class music programming across district elementary sites.
Jenny Samson, identified as executive director of Create and director of the Merced Children's Holiday Choir, told the board the three‑year plan would expand services from a pilot at three schools to seven sites in 2025–26 with the goal of reaching more campuses in subsequent years. “With your support, we are confident this can become a sustainable, equitable district‑wide model,” Samson said during the public comment period.
District staff told trustees the approved contract totals $548,375 for the 2025–26 school year. Staff described a multi‑part delivery model that combines brief push‑in classroom demonstrations (to build student and teacher buy‑in) with after‑school sessions of roughly 90 minutes once per week. Dr. Ken Cooper, director of pupil services, said the proposal includes a phased “model one, two and three” rollout to reach all seven campuses and the use of SixCrickets for tracking enrollment and attendance.
Trustees asked for specifics before voting, focusing on how enrollment projections, hourly staffing costs and funding sources were calculated. Trustee Brooks said he wanted to understand the per‑hour rates and scaling assumptions; staff replied that part of the cost is for outreach and classroom push‑ins rather than only direct instruction. Concerns raised by trustees and members of the public included why the program cost increased from the pilot ($12,457 for three sites cited for spring 2025) to the current contract and whether funding would be sustained if enrollment grew.
Several educators and community partners urged the board to approve the contract. Alex Simon, professor of music at Merced College, said the absence of early choral instruction limited later musical development and strongly supported the district partnership. Multiple principals and classroom teachers said the pilot improved student engagement and supported LCAP goals.
Staff said the district will use ELOP (Expanded Learning Opportunities Program) funds as well as supplemental and concentration funds (state LCFF targeted dollars for unduplicated pupils) to pay for the contract and that snacks and attendance tracking would be handled as part of the program delivery. Board members asked staff to return with quarterly reporting and noted performances were expected as part of the program’s outreach and evaluation.
The motion to approve the Create contract was moved by Trustee Brooks, seconded by Trustee McCutchen, and passed with Trustee Jang absent.
The board will receive updates on program rollout and enrollment as the school year progresses.
