Committee forwards recommendation to adopt Music K‑8 and keep Essential Elements as a supplement

The Curriculum and Instruction Committee on May 12 heard a presentation from Becky, the district’s secondary music department chair, and Barb Stouty, the elementary music department chair, and voted to forward a package of curriculum and equipment requests to the full Manitowoc School District board for the board’s 30‑day review.

Becky and Stouty told the committee that the teams piloted several resources and concluded no single published program met every need. They recommended Music K‑8 (branded in the presentation as Music Play) as the primary K–8 program because it follows a Kodály‑based sequence and provides helpful recordings and curriculum maps. They recommended retaining Essential Elements as a supplemental resource for repertoire and performance material, saying Essential Elements offers up‑to‑date pop repertoire and well‑written choral and instrumental pieces that complement Music K‑8.

The presenters described their inventory work and a recent external assessment of pianos and large instruments. They said Hyde Music graded district pianos and identified several that are beyond practical repair. The department proposed a rotation plan for instrument replacement and a recurring annual line for subscriptions and maintenance. Presenters also listed equipment requests such as piano humidifiers, replacement large instruments (the presentation cited a tuba example at about $6,000), additional black dresses and tuxes for performances, and replacement or upgraded instrument lockers that in places date to 1980.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about replacement schedules (presenters said pianos can last up to about 20 years under heavy use, though many district pianos are older), inventory grading and whether to split budget approvals into multiple motions. Mr. Able moved to recommend the curriculum and equipment package to the full board; the motion was seconded and the committee carried it to forward the recommendation.

The committee’s action at this meeting was to forward the recommendation and the procurement requests to the full board for the standard public review and subsequent board action. The presenters said recurring costs for online subscriptions (e.g., student-facing materials and method‑book supplements) and annual maintenance were estimated in their budget packet, and that many one‑time equipment purchases should last multiple curriculum cycles.

Next steps: the board will receive the committee’s recommendation, post the materials for the customary 30‑day public review period, and consider final adoption or appropriation at a future board meeting.