SAD 17 music, sports feel the knife

OXFORD HILLS — The school district's priorities are out of harmony with student's needs, say teachers from the music department.

Proposed budget cuts for the 2011-12 year include $50,000 from the music department, and $20,000 from athletics.

"Programs will be affected by these cuts," stressed Colpitts. The music department, he said, will be losing one teacher, while blanket cuts will reduce the amount of sports offered at the freshman and middle school level. "The reality of it is that I don't think we can afford the level of services we've been providing."

The cuts in the coming year's budget were necessitated by a drop in the school district's revenues, coupled with an increase in fixed costs and salaries.

Superintendent Colpitts made it clear during a presentation to the school board that the decisions on what to cut were not something that he had taken lightly.

In a perfect situation, said the superintendent, the cuts would not be made. Given the current financial circumstances, however, the district is being forced to cut services to balance the budget.

Music cuts

"We've had a retirement in music this year and we're not going to replace it, knowing that it has an impact, and the impact it has I'm not proud of," said Colpitts. "The good news is that kids will still continue to receive music classes in K-6. Just as we provide art and phys-ed K-6, they will continue to receive music K-6."

The cut would leave the department understaffed and could force the district to choose between competing programs at the middle or elementary school level.

"There is an issue with providing all of the instrumental and string lessons and the chorus we've provided [in the past]. Those are separate programs from the daily instruction," said Colpitts. "It does involve a reduction, either in chorus or strings or band at the middle school [and in] strings at the 4th grade, instrumental lessons at the middle school, or chorus at the elementary school."

Athletics cuts

Sports programming will also be taking a hit in 2011-12.

Athletic Director (AD) Jeff Benson said that the school will not be offering freshmen basketball for either girls or boys next year, nor will it offer middle school wrestling. In addition, the district will be losing funding for one middle school field hockey coach.

Colpitts said that he asked the athletic department for at least $20,000 in cuts, which Benson was able to find.

"Athletics was a blanket cut. It was going to our AD and saying, I want a $40k cut but I'll settle for $20k," said Colpitts. "He came back with a $20k cut, primarily freshmen level sports and some activity at the middle school as well."