September 2, 2009

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Renton SD Elementary Band, Orchestra Supporters Disappointed with District Decision to Cancel Program

As predicted by supporters, Renton School District approved its proposed 2009-10 budget, which essentially cancelled the District's Fifth Grade Band and Orchestra Programs.

Disppointing a growing contingent of dedicated parents who had invested a tremendous amount of time looking for solutions, many felt the District should have worked more collabortively to produce viable options for saving the program.

Carrie Wong, loyal Renton School District parent and PTSA Vice President at Lindbergh High School, notified the program supporters of the District's decision.

Below is Wong's letter and another letter issued by Renton School District's Randy Matheson in response to a letter submitted to the District by supporter Ken Wallace. Wallace's initial passionate letter for saving the program had gone unanswered, and a second letter was written to express his growing anger over what he felt was an unresponsive District.

"Although over two months have past (sic), not one of you have even bothered to extend me the courtesy of a response to this important issue.  I included a personal letter as an attachment, hoping that it would be read and given due consideration by you and each board member," said Wallace in his second letter.

Wong's letter expresses her disappointment but also a commitment to reinstituting the program in the future.

I would like to thank all the parents, teachers, community members, business owners, students, and all general music supporters, for their never-ending support with our efforts to try to save the 5th Grade Band and Orchestra program.

We worked very hard to reach a compromise and, as you probably already know, none was reached.

I sincerely hope something good will come out of this.  It has to, for the sake of our children's future.  If anything, this has rallied parents from all areas of the district, schools north to south, east to west.  I have witnessed an amazing group of parents coming together, for a common cause, which I have only seen for the bonds and levies.  We need to realize a few things:

    - We have banded together and fought for an honorable, noble, prestigious program.

    - Everyone has realized the big picture; this has not been done for any individual, small groups, or for general selfish reasons.

    - We have witnessed outstanding current and former students, coming out to testify, writing letters, gathering signatures, rallying support, and watching our actions.  For the younger children, they will remember this experience for the rest of their lives.  When it comes time for them to fight for a common cause, they will have the experience, courage, tenacity, and resolve to do what is right.

    - We will have even more support, not only within our own community, but outside the community, from former students who have gone on to prestigious careers, to higher education supporters.

    - We will continue to press the State to fully fund schools.

    - We need to lobby the State to have instrumental music and arts programs recognized as part of the CORE curriculum.  General music is part of the core, but instrumental music is not. This starts at the State level, not just the district level.

I plan to be on the task force for the 2010-11 school year.  We must develop an even stronger music program, one that will not collapse due to politics or budget cuts.  I hope some of you can join me, in any capacity you are able to.  Our strength has come from your backing and support - we'll continue to need it.

Despite the anger and disappointment we are feeling from the community, please do not ever give up on the district or the teachers.  To do so will only hurt our own children.  We need to continue working with the district, staff, and teachers in all other areas, for the best education for our children.

We must be gracious, maintain our dignity, and hold our heads up.  We have nothing to regret, and everything to gain from our perseverance.

Thank you, everyone!!!

Carrie Wong

Letter written by Renton School District's Randy Matheson:

Mr. Wallace,

I am responding on behalf of Renton Schools Superintendent Dr. Mary Alice Heuschel to your e-mails below.

I did receive your e-mail—via Dr. Heuschel—dated June 24 (included at the bottom of this e-mail); but read the message as a request that Board members read the letter that was attached and that no response was requested. I apologize for the misunderstanding.

There is immense difficulty and responsibility that comes with balancing a $135 million school district budget, and the challenges to reduce spending due to reduction of state funding by $5.3 million. The goal throughout the months of the budget-reduction process was to work hard to maintain our professional education workforce to continue providing students with meaningful classroom instruction.

Although we were able to find cost-saving measures that include postponement of curriculum adoptions, consolidating bus routes for athletics, reduction to the amount allocated to the fund balance, and eliminating high school athletic C teams, we also had to make some very difficult decisions that included eliminating our workforce of non-teaching positions, not extending one-year contracts for some very capable teachers and eliminating fifth-grade band/orchestra. District administrators also agreed to cut their pay by up to three days to contribute to the “Save a Teacher” effort.

We do not place a lower value on any of the areas or people where reductions were made; indeed, these reductions were made only after painstaking discussions and a methodical, line-by-line evaluation of our current and future programs and budgets to look for reductions outside of the classroom.

The reality is that we’ve had to make dramatic cuts to our budget for several consecutive years; and those areas of daily operations such as administrative help, the maintenance of our buildings, furniture replacement, grass and field maintenance, and so on, have been cut dramatically over the past few years to keep reductions out of classrooms. There simply is no more in these areas to cut without jeopardizing the utility of schools and other buildings. 

Music, art, athletics and other co-curricular activities are important to this district and its leadership. Band and orchestra will continue to be offered at grades 6-12 and music classes are offered at all grade levels including elementary. We are committed to providing our students with a well-rounded education that includes fine arts, humanities and elective programs and activities throughout all grade spans. And, we will continue to find reductions away from classrooms in the coming years even while faced with devastating and obligatory reductions from our state and federal governments. 

Randy Matheson
Executive Director, Community Relations
Renton School District