New schools getting pared-down music programs amid budget woes

Three local elementary schools set to open next year will have pared-down music programs after Thames Valley District school board trustees absolved themselves of making a decision over instruments, instructing staff to make the call.

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At the last board meeting of the calendar year, trustees refused to make cuts to future music programs being developed at the board’s three new elementary schools due to a budget deficit that’s ballooned even after deep prior cuts.

Instead, trustees with Drew the motion brought forward by staff that would have forced them to choose between two options: $215,000 for full programs of musical instruments or $43,800 for guitar-only programs at the schools opening in 2025-26 in northwest London, southwest London and North Woodstock.

“I do think this is an operational decision,” said London trustee Marianne Larsen. “Many decisions need to be made in the next while around our budget and I think staff are in the best position to make the difficult decisions that need to made around the implications of cutting funds from our programs.

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“I don’t think I, as an individual, have the expertise to know what is the best way for us to save money.”

At a committee meeting the day prior, where the issue was discussed, trustee Bruce Smith, a former music teacher, weighed in.

“Every music teacher out there is a friend of mine,” he said. “There’s no way I’m going to wear something that goes in the newspaper that says trustees voted to cancel musical instrument programs.”

In an interview Monday, Bill Tucker, the board’s interim education director, said staff have decided to go ahead with the guitar-only programs in all three schools.

“The curricular outcomes for Grade 7 and Grade 8 music are the same whether its guitar or instrumental music,” he said. “It’s the most cost-effective way to deliver curricular outcomes.”

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But trustee Lori-Ann Pizzolato was in favor of the costlier program for the new schools because “students can develop diverse skills” with different instruments.

“Not every child will feel connected to one musical instrument,” she said. “Some may be drawn to a guitar while others will have an affinity for the drums or the brass instruments.

“We can cater to a larger, wider range of interests and talents.”

Smith said some music teachers aren’t comfortable teaching a variety of instruments.

“The most difficult, complicated subject to teach is instrumental music,” he said. “What we want is kids to have a great experience and to like music.

“If they have a guitar program and really like it, they can get to high school and they can still take instrumental music.”

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Trustee Beth Mai said many elementary schools have guitar, ukulele and recorder musical programs.

“To suggest a guitar program is inferior to a full band program would indicate that other schools in our district. . . are somehow inferior,” she said.

Last week, school board trustees learned that a deficit they’d spent months chopping down to $7.6 million has more than doubled to $16.5 million, leaving officials facing more tough spending decisions.

The London-based board previously had slashed its 2024-25 budget shortfall to $7.6 million from $18 million with cuts that included 58 elementary and 24 high school teaching jobs, 17 early childhood educator jobs and four positions in speech and psychological services.

That latest deficit add-on can be blamed largely on enrollment projections in both elementary and high schools across the board that were too high by about 600 students, leading to a $6.4-million cut in provincial funding.

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