Wasatch High marching band honored at school board meeting; students credit program with building community

The Wasatch County School District board on Monday evening recognized Wasatch High School's 2024 state-champion marching band, inviting students, staff and parents to speak about the program's impact.

The principal introduced the champions and praised their persistence, saying the group "started out this year taking second every single competition" before persisting to win the state title. Band staff described the logistical demands of a competitive marching season'from hauling multiple trailers to coordinating precise field timing'and noted the band earned caption awards for Color Guard, music and visual performance.

Students gave short testimonials about the program's effect on belonging and growth. Senior Cash Graham said the most important takeaway was the community the band fosters: "The one biggest takeaway ... after you get awards and you walk off the field and you're in the parking lot and everybody's crying and calling their parents ... I've never felt more connected to my friends." Naomi, a drum major, told the board the role had helped her "grow so much as a leader and as a person."

Band staff emphasized discipline and leadership as the program's goals. The coach said he does not teach music solely to create musicians but "to create leaders in society," and credited student leadership and parent volunteers for the season'long effort.

After remarks the board watched a short video of the state performance and the band performed selections from "A Sky Full of Stars." The board thanked the students and staff and recessed briefly before continuing the regular agenda.

The board did not take formal action on funding requests during the recognition segment, but parents urged continued and increased support for the music program to sustain the volunteer and staff workload and to preserve the role music plays in student engagement.