Mount Diablo Unified To Cut School Music Classes, Librarians

By Web staff

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    CONCORD, California (KPIX) — The Mount Diablo Unified School District voted Wednesday evening on a controversial plan to cut programs like elementary school music classes and librarians for middle and high schools. It’s all in an effort to save money and balance the budget.

The vote came hours after parents and teachers held a rally before the board meeting asking members to save the programs. Hundreds of people gathered at Monte Gardens Elementary in Concord before marching over to district headquarters.

In a report presented to the board earlier this month, the district said it was operating at a deficit of about $20 million per school year, partly due to declining enrollment.

The district’s cuts for next school year would include eliminating music programs for 4th grade, eliminating Diablo Day Program – an alternative school for high-risk kids, and eliminating librarians from middle and high school libraries.

Ten-year-old Avery Erilick has spent two years learning to play the clarinet. She said cutting 4th grade music would be devastating.

“I think that would ruin a lot of people’s lives because, like, some people don’t know what they would do if they didn’t have music in their lives,” she said.

“Music gives people a way to speak in which words fail, if that makes sense,” said Concord High School band member Angel Cardenes

Officials say eliminating 4th grade music would save more than $500,000 each year. But Northgate High music student Tatiana Avdienko wrote a thoughtful response about the benefits of music programs, saying they create long-lasting friendships and “improve abstract thinking, necessary for learning math and science.”

She got back a snarky reply from Board President Debra Mason, who asked, “Don’t you have school today?”

In a report presented to the board earlier this month, the district said it was operating at a deficit of about $20 million per school year, partly due to declining enrollment.

The district’s cuts for next school year would include eliminating music programs for 4th grade, eliminating Diablo Day Program – an alternative school for high-risk kids, and eliminating librarians from middle and high school libraries.

Ten-year-old Avery Erilick has spent two years learning to play the clarinet. She said cutting 4th grade music would be devastating.

“I think that would ruin a lot of people’s lives because, like, some people don’t know what they would do if they didn’t have music in their lives,” she said.

“Music gives people a way to speak in which words fail, if that makes sense,” said Concord High School band member Angel Cardenes

Officials say eliminating 4th grade music would save more than $500,000 each year. But Northgate High music student Tatiana Avdienko wrote a thoughtful response about the benefits of music programs, saying they create long-lasting friendships and “improve abstract thinking, necessary for learning math and science.”

She got back a snarky reply from Board President Debra Mason, who asked, “Don’t you have school today?”

In a report presented to the board earlier this month, the district said it was operating at a deficit of about $20 million per school year, partly due to declining enrollment.

The district’s cuts for next school year would include eliminating music programs for 4th grade, eliminating Diablo Day Program – an alternative school for high-risk kids, and eliminating librarians from middle and high school libraries.

Ten-year-old Avery Erilick has spent two years learning to play the clarinet. She said cutting 4th grade music would be devastating.

“I think that would ruin a lot of people’s lives because, like, some people don’t know what they would do if they didn’t have music in their lives,” she said.

“Music gives people a way to speak in which words fail, if that makes sense,” said Concord High School band member Angel Cardenes

Officials say eliminating 4th grade music would save more than $500,000 each year. But Northgate High music student Tatiana Avdienko wrote a thoughtful response about the benefits of music programs, saying they create long-lasting friendships and “improve abstract thinking, necessary for learning math and science.”

She got back a snarky reply from Board President Debra Mason, who asked, “Don’t you have school today?”

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