As you may know the state has cut the funding to the district significantly and we are in a shortfall of nearly 6 million dollars. On the eve of March 30, 2011, the school board finance committee proposed cuts to the budget to help make-up that deficit. Some of the cuts include:   eliminating the planetarium program totally eliminating the orchestra program (K-12) cutting band by 50% cutting out "specials" (gym, library, art, music) for kindergarten cutting the mid-day bus runs to and from kindergarten (how will your kids get to school or get home?) partial elimination of technology education, family and consumer science, and art programs cutbacks in "specials" for the elementary schools (art, music, gym...) elimination junior high athletics (7 &8 grade) Reduction of Senior High Sports elimination of most field trips for all students  reducing security staff at the high school eliminating after hour homework help and math camp in JR high schools Reduce Secondary Electives Teachers by 50% which include: Art, Music, Business Education, Health and Physical Education, World Language, Family and Consumer Science, Technology Education. Eliminate French at BAHS Reduce Guidance Counselor Days Eliminate Elementary Library Clerks   There is also supposedly going to be a 20% increase in class size too. They are already too big-is is really a good idea to make them bigger to save a few bucks?  If the board were to raise taxes, the average taxpayer would see an increase of about $140 a year.    Students who participated in band and orchestra reported having the lowest level of lifetime and current use of controlled substances (Texas Commission on Drug and Alcohol Abuse Report. Reported in Houston Chronicle, January 1998). Students in music education have been shown to have higher math proficiency by 12th grade. (Catterall, James S., Richard Chapleau, and John Iwanaga. "Involvement in the Arts and Human Development: General Involvement and Intensive Involvement in Music and Theater Arts." Los Angeles, CA: The Imagination Project at UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, 1999.”) Students involved in music have been shown to score higher on the SAT’s, 57 points higher in verbal and 41 points higher in math. (College-Bound Seniors National Report: Profile of SAT Program Test Takers. Princeton, NJ: The College Entrance Examination Board, 2001.”) Students in music programs have been shown to have significantly higher levels of self-esteem and thinking skills (National Arts Education Research Center, New York University, 1990) Schools with music programs have higher graduation rates than those that do not. (Harris Interactive poll of high school principals, 200)
And it is not just music that is important. Students involved in any extracurricular activity have been shown to have better grades, higher standardized test scores, higher educational attainment, and attend school more regularly. These students are also less likely to use substances, dropout of school, misbehave at school, and commit delinquent acts. (http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/cy/other/fs9932.pdf) " Performance programs enhance a student's sense of self esteem as well as their social skills. Students become a part of a positive group and organization. Not only do students profit socially from music programs and athletics, but they also gain academically. Performance programs enhance a student's sense of self esteem as well as their social skills. Students become a part of a positive group and organization. Not only do students profit socially from these programs, but they also gain academically.
*****By signing this petition you are letting the school board know that you do NOT AGREE with these eliminations, and you PROPOSE that they raise the school taxes. You as a parent or concerned citizen, are willing to spend a little extra money in taxes so that the children of our community have the best education possible.