My wife, Anne, offered an excellent analogy to the philosophical approach toward budgeting thus far taken by the Jefferson School District. She said it's like the people who set their clocks ahead 20 minutes out of fear of being late. I would add that such people are not living in reality, and imagine the aspects and experiences of life that might be missed in each of those 20 minutes.
We need to provide the best we can for today's students while also ensuring our capability to provide for the students of tomorrow. Failing to meet the needs of today's students is a mistake the kids cannot afford us to make.
At the next school board meeting, the district trustees will vote on the approval of the 2003-2004 budget. The problem is that the preliminary budget put forth by the district is flawed and the reported $254,336 deficit is fictitious.
The main flaw in the district's budget is the omission of the nearly $1.5 million beginning fund balance. This is compounded by the deductions for designated reserves that have already been set aside and are a part of that beginning balance. Thus the $254K deficit reported by the district is unreal. Even by its meager starting numbers and non-existent growth considerations, it shows a surplus of $428K for this coming year alone.
Further, more complete and realistic assumptions, analysis and projections put the ending balance of the general fund at over $2.8 million after expenses on 6/30/2004. This includes considering the projected $1.5 million beginning balance, more current enrollment projections as a basis for revenue, a 13% growth projection through the coming year, and a 1.5% teacher salary increase - which was not included in the preliminary budget the district put forth. Even with only a 10% growth rate throughout the year, the ending balance would exceed $2.6 million. For further details see www.musicforjefferson.org/budget. Of course, we will have to use some of this for 6-8 new teachers the following year to cover the growth, but even if that came to $300K, that would still leave well over $2M in the fund. However, that's the following year's budget - and that will include even more revenue from even more growth.
With this much in hand, we have no valid argument for not only restoring the primary music program - which should never have been taken away in the first place, but also ensuring fair compensation for our hardworking and dedicated employees, who provide outstanding education and care for our children. Additionally, with over $6 million in developer fees in hand, we will be able to acquire matching funds to build the Anthony Traina school in the Edgewood subdivision. Clearly we have the capability to provide for both today's students and tomorrow's. Let's not waste anymore time!
Last year we hosted an electronic petition gathering well over 500 signatures in support of retaining the primary music program - to no avail. Despite the outcry, the district cut the program funding (less than $60,000 in total), and thus have taken from over half of the district students the opportunity to learn and enjoy weekly music education by a dedicated instructor that roamed from classroom to classroom and from school to school. We have started a new petition in the hopes that even more will participate and that the trustees will no longer disregard the will of its constituency. This petition can be signed online at www.musicforjefferson.org/petition.
The district's response was to add the music curriculum to the already overloaded tasks of the elementary classroom teacher. After speaking with students and teachers this year, my suspicions of inadequate and inequitable implementation of this curriculum have been confirmed. One teacher stated, "They're not being taught music - there's no time." Students often cannot remember the last time they had music education in the classroom. Using a dedicated instructor avoids the inherent issue with the varying differences of training, capability and enthusiasm for music education among the many classroom teachers, and thus ensures the same quality of music education for all students.
Research indicates a clear advantage to those students whose lives are enriched by music education. Clinical studies have shown that music education at an early age enhances learning capabilities in a wide array of disciplines, including mathematics, spatial cognitive reasoning and reading. The effects of these learning enhancements do not stop when schooling ends, but continue for the rest of the children's lives. It is clinically proven that merely listening to Mozart can increase an individual's intelligence quotient.
Participation in music education often leads to enhanced self-esteem. Offering this education in the classroom at an early age increases the probability of participation as identity issues that are a natural part of adolescence have not manifested, and therefore would not hinder participation and thus learning and enjoyment. District band director, Roy Troglia pointed this out last year and said that by the age they get to him, he cannot touch all lives. If kids felt good about themselves, and sang together weekly as elementary students, we would surely have less need for conflict management as the children get older and deal with the many issues they face growing up.
When Ludwig van Beethoven was eight years old, he gave his first public performance as a pianist. He had music published at age twelve. Mozart was composing at age six, and writing symphonies at age eight. Rather than providing a head start to our children, the district is waiting until they are eleven or twelve years old before offering any sort of dedicated music instruction. With this approach, there would surely not be a Beethoven or Mozart arising out of our school district.
If you are a concerned district resident, please take a moment to sign our online petition. Then, if at all possible, please attend the June 10th school board meeting at 6:30 pm, which will be held in the Jefferson School Cafeteria at 7500 W. Linne Road in Tracy. Let the district know that dedicated early childhood music education is important to you. Your attendance and voice at the public hearing is crucial. If you do not act, you further risk the children being deprived of valuable education that enhances many aspects of learning, most notably, mathematics - one of the very foundations of technology. See the research on the musicforjefferson.org site that clearly states the importance and impact of early childhood music education.
We must act now! These children are our future.