The Greater Victoria School District has decided to scale back its music programs, including elimination of elementary-school strings.
To pare down a $7-million deficit in its $268-million 2022-23 budget, the school board also opted Thursday night to reduce middle school music funding by 20 per cent and to cut the size of the school district administration. All school boards in the province must produce balanced budgets each year by June 30.
Cutting elementary strings — which had given Grade 5 students the opportunity to learn a stringed instrument — is expected to save the district $209,000, while the administration cuts will save $427,000 and taking 20 per cent from middle school music saves $190,478. Middle school music will retain $762,000 in funding.
The music-program cuts hit a sour note with students who staged their second rally of the week in protest.
Millie del Villano, a Grade 12 student from Reynolds Secondary who helped organize Friday’s rally, said she is “absolutely outraged” by the music cuts. “It’s ridiculous that this is something that they could even consider doing.”
Music has been an important part of her school experience, said del Villano, who plays percussion in the school band and is also involved in choir.
“A ton of my friendships have stemmed from the music program,” she said. “I’ve learned so many valuable skills and it’s a huge part of my life, and so many other kids’ lives.”
She said it’s hard knowing that students in elementary and middle schools will have less opportunity to take part in music than students her age enjoyed.
Board chairman Ryan Painter said it was tough to make the cuts, but the board was facing three serious challenges, including managing pandemic response, pressures from inflation — “everyone knows what that looks like, they’ve seen the price at the gas pump” — and flat enrolment.
Districts receive funding from the province based on the number of students enrolled.
“These are very difficult decisions that we do not take lightly,” Painter said.
“It has been incredibly challenging knowing that all decisions will directly impact services to students and will have a ripple effect in schools.”
Painter said the board tried hard to balance cuts across various departments and sectors, adding that he’s particularly happy that they protected 80 per cent of the middle school music budget, preserved seven youth-and-family counsellors and didn’t cut career counsellors.
He said the board listened to the public in making cuts at the district office, which include eliminating an associate superintendent and a human-resources position.
An $800,000 savings came from a one-time reduction in money the district gives out for school supplies. Instead, schools in 2022-23 will have to get that money from their own budgets.
“All of our schools do have their own discretionary funding that they can use,” Painter said.
Karin Kwan, who has two daughters in music programs — one at Reynolds and one at Cedar Hill Middle School — and is part of the group Advocacy for Music in Schools, said she was surprised by the cut to elementary-school strings.
“I think a lot of people are in shock,” she said. “I think that there’s a lot of music teachers that are just heartbroken, along with a lot of elementary school parents and families.”
Taking away 20 per cent of funding from middle-school music means that it will be running on “bare bones,” Kwan said.
Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association president Winona Waldron said the board had to make cuts, but ended up making them to some staffing positions that will “hugely affect students.”
She said that includes cuts to daytime custodians at elementary and middle schools, who have had their work time reduced by 50 per cent. That brings a savings of $654,902.
Waldron said daytime custodians not only do important cleaning work but are integral to how a school runs. “It’s cleaning but it’s also dealing with emergency situations for students or if there’s somebody coming to the building to fix something, they’re that contact person.”
