EDITOR: It appears that the Jefferson School District Board of Trustees and the District's Superintendent are not the only ones to use the tactic of spreading misinformation and half-truths to convey or squelch an idea. The publisher of the Tracy Press has apparently 'joined the band.' The editorial, entitled "Band to play on at Jefferson School," printed in the Tracy Press, on Monday, April 29, stated that "some Jefferson parents and alumni have been led to believe [the band program would be cut.]" Our efforts did nothing of the kind. We led no one to this conclusion and have stated nothing but the whole truth from the beginning. If any Jefferson parents and/or alumni have come to this conclusion, it was not by our efforts - they came to this incorrect conclusion on their own. Every statement or documentation we issued included the fact that the primary grades K-4 were the ones affected. We were quick to correct that the band program and grades 5-8 were unaffected when confronted with the question.
A second untruth contained in the paper's article: "The choices for the school board were to eliminate elementary music or to raise class sizes from 24 students to more than 30 students in the upper grades." The fact of the matter is, according to the budget numbers given to me by the Jefferson School District Business Manager, the ending balance remaining in reserve on June 30 of this year is just under $1.2 million. With no effort to increase revenues (just more cuts) the reserve funds will approach $900,000 in two years. State requirements for reserves are 3 percent - while the district continues to hoard roughly 7 percent or more. I propose that the community leaders, including those at financial institutions, offer the school district a low-interest loan to cover the $56,127 that will allow the retention of the music program for the primary grades next year, and the district invest some of that bloated reserve in a grant writer that will work to offset the projected difference between revenues and spending in the coming years. There is no reason to touch class size.
Here's a third untruth: "Egad! No band…a ridiculous notion that hasn't even crossed the minds of the local school district's administrators or board members." I'm told that band director, Roy Troglia has more than once received the same pink slip that was this year handed to Mary Evans, the primary music teacher with over 800 students in the district. Hasn't even crossed their minds? The board and administration must pass these things out without thinking…
It was never suggested that the fault of this issue originated with the school board or administration. It is however, now their problem. So what are they going to do? Take the bull by the horns, or just pass the bull?
Incidentally, if you're going to pass blame onto Davis, why not include Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling of Enron, and Pete Wilson and the members of the California state legislature that passed the proverbial 'half-fast' power deregulation.
Print that (in its entirety!) I double-dog dare ya.
Dan Wells
Tracy