Centralia School District Unveils ‘Compromise’ on Elementary Music Program

After intense community backlash to a plan that would have moved fifth and sixth grade music programming to an optional after-school program, the Centralia School District is moving forward with a modified plan that will increase music instruction at younger grade levels, as well as adding instruction time for sixth-graders.

“I think the end result was one that everyone felt pretty good about,” said board member Lori Fast. “Everybody feels like it's a win-win.”

Back in March, Superintendent Mark Davalos informed the district that fifth- and sixth-grade band, strings and choir would cease to be required coursework, instead moving to an optional after-school program. The transition was part of the district’s switch to a K-6 model. That announcement was met with swift backlash from the board, parents and the district’s music instructors.

Soon after, the district announced it was rescinding the new music structure and instead setting up a committee to determine the future of elementary music. The committee included Fast and music instructors from the district, as well as leaders from the teachers union and district.

“(The committee) met maybe five or six times over the last month and a half or so and looked at what other school districts do,” said Ed Peterson, public relations and communications coordinator for the district. “They looked at our financial situation, staffing needs and staff scheduling needs.”

Ultimately, the group came up with a plan that it believes all stakeholders can agree on.

In the proposal released by the district, kindergarten through third grade students will receive 45 hours of general music instruction, up from the 6 to 12 hours they get currently. Fourth and fifth graders will also be offered 45 hours of general instruction. For fourth graders, that represents a bump up from the current 36 hours of they receive. Fifth graders will be seeing a decrease from their current 90 hours of specialized instruction — band, strings and choir.

Fast called the decline in instruction time for fifth graders the “biggest shift and compromise” in the plan, saying the committee “couldn’t make it work” to retain the same instruction time under the new K-6 model.

That’s offset in part by increased instruction the following year. Sixth graders will be able to receive 135 hours of specialized instruction, well above the 90 currently available. The band and strings instruction won’t be mandatory, but all students will have the opportunity to participate before deciding on other fine arts offerings. In addition, an optional honor choir option will be offered.

“There were some compromises we needed,” Fast said. “It substantially increases the music instruction our kids get in the younger grades. … This will also create some options for kids who really just are not wanting to be in the band. This will create additional fine arts options for them.”

In a release announcing the shift, several members of the music committee praised the end result.

“Our committee’s goal was to create a comprehensive K-6 music education program,” said Kristy Vetter, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning. “We ... put together a plan through a great collaborative effort that expands music education for most of our K-6 students.”

Elementary music teacher Anne Schaefer cited the added offerings for younger students as a positive step.

“We’ll be able to build a better foundation with our primary aged students,” she said in the release. “There will be a lot more consistency.”

Those involved said the new plan isn’t perfect, but the process represents a huge step forward from Davalos’ unilateral decision that caught stakeholders off-guard.

“(Transparency) was one of the goals, when we took a step back from that previous proposal,” Fast said. “That was the goal, to keep everybody informed along the way. … It happens best with a collaborative process.”

Fast said it was important to get more input from the district’s music instructors, and she was pleased that staff seemed to be on board with the new proposal. She added that it was well-received by the board, and she has so far only heard positive comments from parents.

According to Peterson, the new plan has been met with much more approval within the district.

“Internally, yes,” he said. “The reaction of parents and students is yet to be known, but internally there's definitely more consensus.”