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Parents, teachers urge board to preserve Asheville Middle orchestra after staff proposal to sunset program
Summary
More than a dozen parents and staff urged the board to reverse a staff recommendation to sunset the Asheville Middle School orchestra program, saying the class provides belonging, recruitment benefits and is already paid for this year.
Asheville City Schools parents, students and staff packed the public-comment period of Monday's work session to plead with the board to preserve the Asheville Middle School orchestra program after district staff recommended sunsetting it.
Multiple parents described the program as transformational for their children. Jeff Thompson said the orchestra "is where she found friends" and credited the program with helping his daughter find confidence and belonging; other speakers described families who chose Asheville Middle because of the strings program and said enrollment and community support would be harmed if the program ended.
Why it matters: Several board members and staff framed staffing and budget decisions around enrollment and allotment changes; parents argued that cutting the strings program could cause families to leave the district, which in turn would affect future funding. Several commenters noted that the program's recent concerts and community collaborations had generated attention and prospective enrollments.
Key claims from public comment: - Parents and volunteers said that orchestra provides a place of belonging for students who struggle academically or socially and that losing the program would damage retention and recruitment for the middle and feeder elementary schools. - Several speakers noted the program is already funded for the current year and asked that the district allow it to run through the contract period or seek alternatives rather than immediate elimination. - Isaac Dixon parents (separate public-comment thread) raised allegations about school climate and leadership at that elementary, urging a board response to claims of differential treatment and staff morale problems.
Board response and next steps: Board members acknowledged the strong sentiment from parents and staff and said they would factor community input into upcoming budget and staffing votes; several board members requested more financial detail and time to consider alternatives. The superintendent and staff said they had made an operational recommendation but could revisit the program’s status during budget deliberations.
Ending: The public comment period closed after the allotted time; the board entered closed session afterward to discuss personnel- and attorney-client matters. Any formal change to the orchestra program will depend on the board's budget decisions in the coming meeting cycle.
