School Committee to Superintendent: No Cuts to Elementary School Instrumental Music Program

Report on the Meeting of the Amherst School Committee, February 15, 2024

Note: Because Amherst Media was not informed of this added meeting, which was held at Town Hall instead of the high school, it did not live stream the meeting. The meeting was recorded, however, and can be viewed here.

Present
Sarah Marshall (Chair), Jennifer Shiao, Bridget Hynes, Debra Leonard, and Irv Rhodes (participating remotely).

Staff: Doug Slaughter (Interim School Superintendent)

The committee opposed cutting an instrumental music teacher to help balance the budget for FY 2025, as had been proposed by Interim Superintendent Doug Slaughter at their previous meeting. They were told by Faye Brady, Director of Special Education Services, that cuts to Special Education would not affect the services to students. It is still undecided when the sixth graders will move to the middle school, and whether they will be part of the regional system or a separate Amherst-only school within the regional school building. Amherst will remain in the school choice program.

Committee Tells Slaughter to Retain Fourth Grade Instrumental Music Program
Most school committee members felt strongly that students should have the opportunity to start instrumental music in the fourth grade. Slaughter’s proposed budget eliminated one of the three band teachers, which meant instrumental music would be offered only in fifth and sixth grade. 

The school committee meeting on February 13 heard over an hour of public comment by parents, teachers, and students, in addition to 92 pages of submitted comments, most expressing support for retaining the full music program. At this meeting, band director Ariel Templeton noted that 120 fourth graders, 150 fifth graders, and 90 sixth graders (the number of fourth grade musicians was reduced during the pandemic) participate in the instrumental music program. She pointed out the problems in scheduling small-group lessons and ensemble sessions that would occur if there are only two teachers. This difficulty would be compounded, she said, when the sixth grade moves to the middle school.

In public comment, parent Michelle Prindle spoke of the general benefits of learning instrumental music, asserting that studies have shown that learning an instrument at a young age promotes lifelong neuroplasticity. Nina Mankin noted that the elementary school music program is very diverse, including general education and special education students on an equal level, which benefits all students involved. Amherst Regional High School (ARHS) graduate Carolyn Walker shared an orchestral piece composed by 2002 ARHS graduate Nick Juravich and performed by the high school orchestra. She said, “This is the sound of a well-funded program. If you cut it now, it will be cut off at the roots and never recover.”

School committee member Jennifer Shiao agreed with the public comments. She stated that the students in grades four through six get small group lessons as well as a chance to play in the band or orchestra. In the middle school and high school, they only have the ensemble play. She said that the school should not eliminate the fourth-grade instrumental program, and  asked Slaughter to “figure something else out” to balance the budget. Irv Rhodes agreed. He maintained that any cuts would reverberate into the future, and that the program is too important to diminish. He noted that in the past, students used to be able to start a musical instrument in the third grade in Amherst.

Chair Sarah Marshall pointed out that the Amherst Pelham regional system is one of the few districts in the area that offers an orchestra program now. She maintained that the strings program attracts students to the district through school choice. Bridget Hynes stated that she does not want to be part of a school committee that cuts this program. She wants the schools to find other sources of funding, and suggested approaching Amherst College.

Only Debra Leonard expressed some doubts about retaining the third music teacher. She said that although she was moved by the testimony of parents and students, the instrumental music program is an elective that not every student participates in. “If it is so important, why is it not required?” she asked the rest of the committee. Slaughter said that all students receive weekly music as part of their specials, but the instrumental program is extra.

Despite Cuts of Two Positions, Special Education Services to be Maintained
Director of Special Education Faye Brady came before the school committee to discuss projected impacts of cutting two special education positions for the next year. Parents Maya Edden and Ellen Guidera urged the committee not to accept a budget that cuts funds for the most vulnerable students. They presented a petition, signed by over 200 parents, protesting the cuts.

However, Brady maintained that the elimination of two positions would not put the district’s commitment to special education students at risk and would not affect services to them. She explained that the IEP (Individual Educational Program) teams put together programming needed to meet the needs of the students, and the administration figures out how to staff it. Nor would the proposed cuts compromise the district’s compliance with mandated services. She added that there would not be reductions in specialized programs, and stated that decisions about staffing are made “carefully, using the IEP data.” 

When asked about co-teaching, where a general academic teacher and a special education teacher are both present in a class, Brady said that special education teachers might need to pull students with IEPs out of class more often than at present, due to the changes in staffing and scheduling, , which would result  less co-teaching. Hynes asked if that meant that some students would receive services in less-inclusive environments. Brady replied that this might indeed be necessary. But she felt that the needs of students have changed after COVID, which makes this arrangement necessary. 

Marshall asked about psychological services. Slaughter replied that there is a tremendous need for mental health services, even for young children, and at the same time a scarcity of providers in the wider community means that families rely on the schools more than in the past. He said that because of some unfilled positions that are required by the state, the district has had to hire contract personnel at a higher cost than school employees are paid.

Marshall noted that enrollment in the Amherst elementary schools is down to 983 this year, from 1,050 last year. Slaughter thought enrollment will be relatively steady over the next few years, especially with some new housing, said to be aimed at families, planned..

Committee Questions Increase in Administration Costs
Hynes pointed out that the proposed budget for administrative costs shows an increase of $60,000. Slaughter responded that much of this increase is due to higher costs for cost of living increases, as well as software and legal fees. . The special education administrative budget was increased because the district hired someone to manage the intensive needs program.

Slaughter said that all administrative positions are being evaluated, and some will be cut or changed, although he “ could not say” whether any staff members would lose their jobs due to budget cuts; reductions would be aimed at positions that are already vacant. He added, however, that some positions, like hiring a fourth person in the business office, are needed for the district to function.

Director of Communications Debbie Westmoreland offered her own position for reduction. She noted that the district has dedicated administrators and reiterated that any cuts are made only after “careful consideration.” Rhodes wanted to know the impacts on students of any cuts, even those in administration.

On another topic, Slaughter said that although the district applies for grants, grant money is slated for new programs and cannot be used for existing ones. He said the major grant for the Caminantes dual language program was not renewed this year, putting a further strain on the budget.

When Will the Sixth Grade Move to the Middle School?
Marshall and Rhodes developed a memo outlining the issues that must be answered before the sixth grade moves to the middle school, a move necessitated by combining Wildwood and Fort River schools at the new, 575-student school that will open in the fall of 2026 on the Fort River site. The sixth grade might exist as a separate “academy,” housed at the middle school, with its own administration, or it could be integrated into the regional system. The latter arrangement would be less expensive, but would require the agreement of the other three towns in the region.

Any revision to the regional agreement needs to be submitted to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for approval by early December of the year prior to the change taking effect. It quickly became apparent that, because of this complexity, the sixth grade would not be able to move to the middle school until the fall of 2026.

Leonard said that she has a “lot of trouble with the move in general” because it is being driven by the building of a new school and not by an educational model. She noted that the reason for the move is that there won’t be room for the sixth grade in the new school. She also worried about the lack of stable leadership at Amherst Regional Middle School (ARMS) in recent years and the upheavals last year [over the bullying of trans students].

Marshall replied that it is the school committee’s responsibility to come up with an educational plan for the sixth graders. She noted that grouping grades 6 through 8 is by far the most common educational arrangement in the state. She also said that it is up to the school committee to hire the administrators needed to advance the educational program.

Hynes remarked that delaying the move until 2026 would allow an extra year of healing after the recent events at ARMS. Shiao asked Slaughter to gather the information needed for the committee to decide between the academy and regional models for the sixth graders, and he said that although his time over the next month will largely be consumed by finalizing the budget, he will present his findings and recommendations regarding the move t in April. The committee can then obtain input from the public and make a decision in May.

District to Remain in School Choice Program
Slaughter said the committee must vote on whether they want to withdraw from the school choice program. He felt the program has generally been beneficial to the district in terms of increasing diversity and filling classrooms that might be under enrolled. The district offers school choice at all grade levels, although there might not be openings in every grade every year. In general, there are more applicants than spaces, so the district holds a lottery every June for the available spaces.

Slaughter was not sure about some aspects of the school choice program, such as whether the district could shift a school choice student to a different school if enrollment were to change and the original school was full. He also did not know whether the home district or Amherst would cover the extra costs if a school choice student were to develop special needs after enrolling. Despite these uncertainties, none of the school committee members expressed a preference for ending school choice.

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