CAMAS — These fearful about proposed cuts to center and highschool music packages packed the Camas faculty board’s assembly room Monday night.
One after the other, about 20 mother and father, college students, educators and anxious residents appealed to Camas Faculty District leaders through the faculty board’s public remark interval.
Many stated that they had discovered a way of belonging and objective by way of their faculty’s music, choir and drama and implored the board to rethink price range cuts that would cut back music academics’ full-time standing at Camas’ center and excessive colleges.
“Music has the power to awaken people’s souls, share the diversity of who we are, and has a profound effect on our physical, mental and emotional health,” Michelle Autry, the mom of three Camas college students, informed the board. “Please continue to research other methods to trim the budget.”
Liberty Center Faculty choir and drama instructor Erik Edmundson informed the board Monday, “When we reduce performing arts … we limit opportunities for students who don’t see themselves in traditional spaces.”
Different neighborhood members wrote letters to the board this week arguing in opposition to the proposed music program cuts.
Mike Meskel, the daddy of a Grass Valley Elementary Faculty fourth-grader and incoming kindergartner, stated his household moved to Camas in 2019 for the college district.
“Music gives students a place to belong, to express themselves, to build confidence and to develop skills that can’t be measured by (grade-point averages), test scores or college acceptance letters,” Meskel stated in his letter to the board. “Music education in Camas has already been diminished at the elementary level, where students now receive just 45 minutes of music per week, well below the state average of 60 minutes.”
Extra cuts anticipated
The proposed cuts are a part of the college district’s ongoing efforts to slash expenditures by 10 % to 12 %, or $13.3 million to $15.6 million, forward of an anticipated income deficit through the 2025-2026 faculty 12 months.
On Monday, Superintendent John Anzalone stated he and different Camas colleges leaders had hoped state legislators would assist alleviate among the price range shortfalls dealing with faculty districts throughout Southwest Washington.
“It didn’t pan out the way we thought,” Anzalone stated.
The 2025 Washington legislative session adjourned Sunday. Legislators have included $775 million in extra particular schooling funding for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 faculty years, however Camas faculty leaders stated Monday that this aid received’t go far sufficient.
The district has already decreased its central workplace administrative workers and packages by 29 % and, final week, knowledgeable 38 provisional academics (those that have labored on the district for 3 years or much less) that their contracts is not going to be renewed subsequent faculty 12 months.
On Monday, Camas principals additionally gave layoff notices to a number of nonprovisional academics, with cuts primarily based on seniority. Anzalone stated the district plans to scale back help workers later this month.
Reduce the blow
Responding to the outcry over the proposed music program reductions, Anzalone stated it’s “very important” to notice that the district will nonetheless provide music and different artwork lessons.
“The key thing to keep in mind is that we’ve been able to maintain our music programs,” Anzalone stated Monday. “In order to do that … we have to reduce (staff hours) and shrink the sessions our music educators are teaching.”
If the district strikes ahead with the proposed cuts, 5 Camas music educators within the district’s center and excessive colleges would have their full-time hours decreased by 20 %.
“We had to look at class sizes in arts or other elected areas,” Anzalone stated. “Those that were under 30 (students) were targeted, … but we are retaining all of the programs.”
Anzalone stated district leaders hope to work with the Camas academics’ union to determine potential methods to minimize the blow — turning jazz band right into a membership as a substitute of a category, for instance, and paying the membership adviser a stipend.
“Modifying programs is not something we’re used to,” Anzalone stated. “But we are in a bit of a different time now.”
