Parents, students and teachers urge Anchorage School Board to reverse music cuts

Dozens of students, parents and educators told the Anchorage School District board on April 27 that planned cuts to music instruction across the district would hurt attendance, test outcomes and equitable access to scholarships.

At public comment, student Lucas Jesperson called the reductions "atrocious," cited a 2019 American Psychological Association finding he said linked music participation to higher test scores, and asked the board to reconsider cuts that he argued would silence the voices of affected students and families. Todd Barton, band director at Betty Davis East High School, told the board the East program provides unique training opportunities and earns superior festival ratings; he warned that losing sixth-grade music and major reductions at East and West high schools would be "devastating to our community." Parent Teresa Holtz said removing band at East High would disproportionately harm students from lower-income neighborhoods who rely on school programs for access and scholarships.

Speakers repeatedly framed music as more than an elective: they said it provides a reason for students to attend school, supports social-emotional well-being, and develops the cognitive skills used in math and reading. Several presenters cited studies and national organizations in support of their claims and urged the board to reprioritize spending rather than reduce arts instruction.

Some commenters connected music cuts to broader budget choices. One testifier pointed to district administrative spending and urged the board to examine those line items as potential offsets to preserve arts staff. The chorus of testimony included teachers and parents from multiple schools who said that reductions already announced — including elimination of the East High band director position — would shrink opportunities for students who could not afford private lessons.

The public appeals came amid a broader budget discussion that included nursing and transportation proposals; however, the board took no formal vote specifically on the music program during the meeting. Several board members acknowledged hearing the testimony and said they would consider public input as decisions continue in the district budget process.

The meeting concluded with action on other items: the board adopted an administrative memorandum to reinstate a seven-period middle-school schedule for 2026–27 and voted down a motion to send a support letter on SB 278. Those votes did not settle the music program debate, which public speakers urged the board to address in future budget deliberations.