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District to buy 1,200 violins for 4th‑grade strings program; trustees press on storage and costs
Summary
Trustees approved unit prices and proceeded toward purchasing up to 1,200 violins to expand 4th‑grade string instruction as part of the Prop 28 plan. Staff said instruments will be tracked in Destiny and taken home by students; trustees asked about storage, repair plans and long‑term sustainability.
The board approved unit pricing and a plan that will enable district staff to purchase up to 1,200 violins for 4th‑grade students under the district’s visual and performing arts expansion. The award establishes per‑unit pricing (examples: $313 for 0.5‑size from Alpha Music Group; $320 and $289 for other sizes) and authorizes procurement consistent with those unit costs.
VAPA director Dr. Schekel told the board, "we are have gone through a rigorous bid process to purchase 1,200 violins for our 4th grade students." She said the program began in August as part of the Prop 28 plan, described how VAPA itinerant teachers cover quads, and outlined a multi‑year plan that will add new string instruments through middle and high school to develop a full orchestra by 2030.
Trustees pressed staff on storage and maintenance costs. Staff said instruments will be tracked in the Destiny system "just like we track our textbooks and our Chromebooks" and that students will take violins home and bring them to weekly lessons. Staff also described an instrument repair and replacement schedule and said the district could bring vendors on contract for repairs. Purchasing staff said purchase orders could be issued quickly after board approval, but lead times from vendors may vary for large quantities.
The motion to approve the unit pricing and move the procurement forward passed unanimously.
