Our Views: Centralia Would Be Wrong to Cut Music Programs, Especially in an Opaque Process

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By The Chronicle Editorial Board

At a Centralia School Board meeting Wednesday night, Superintendent Mark Davalos announced significant proposed changes to elementary music programs — cutting mandatory daily band, strings or choir instruction for fifth- and sixth-grade students, and replacing it with voluntary, twice-weekly after-school courses.

It was a surprise to many in attendance — most notably the school board, who were apparently not consulted. 

Rumors of cuts to music began spreading earlier this week after Davalos announced the plan in advance to a select group of teachers in the form of a memo marked “confidential.” Naturally, it leaked. 

He read the memo to the school board Wednesday, and intended to circulate it to remaining teachers and staff Thursday. 

“I am not making a change that will end the access to music instruction,” read Davalos. “Once again, I am not making a change that will end music instruction for five-six students. … The suggestion is to move five-six band, strings and choir to an after-school program for all five-six students who choose to participate. They will be collected at each school 15 minutes before the bell twice per week and delivered to one of the elementary schools for two one-hour sections of instruction. They will then be bussed back home to their boundary drop locations.”

If there’s anything we’ve learned in the past year (think Timberland Regional Library) it’s that producing large programmatic changes in secret, then selling them to the public and governing bodies as a done deal is a really bad idea. 

We can’t state that emphatically enough. Worse still, Davalos seems to have intended his announcement as a courtesy, rather than a request. 

Board member Lori Fast asked twice if the board had the opportunity to vote on the proposal. Davalos said no. 

In the midst of a multi-million dollar project to build two elementary schools and most of a high school and accompanying controversy over a poorly explained switch to a K-6 system, the last thing Davalos should be is secretive. 

If the district really needs to cut expenses this badly, he should be seeking input from all involved parties — parents, teachers, students and especially the school board. The process should be as transparent as possible. 



In reality, it’s the exact opposite. School board members were unaware of the proposal before the “confidential” memo leaked. Davalos reports to the board, but left them in the dark along with everyone else. 

But it’s not all about money. Davalos told the board it’s also a logistical issue caused by the K-6 switch. 

“The idea of duplicating that program at five schools is not an easy one,” he said.

So why are we just hearing about this now? Whether or not K-6 schools are a better option for the district, why has the roll-out been so ham-handed? It was barely mentioned as part of the school bond proposal and has been bungled every step of the way since then. 

Even through a lengthy public process to redefine school boundaries, no one mentioned that programmatic changes should be expected. 

Centralia has made positive strides to add more STEM opportunities — but that shouldn’t be to the detriment of liberal arts and the humanities. The value of music education should not be forgotten. 

It’s not a question of how many students will grow up to be professional musicians. Music has ties to math and writing, encourages problem solving and creativity and provides an outlet for emotions and stress. Regardless of what level of musical talent a student achieves in fifth grade or in their future, music education has tangible benefits throughout a person’s life, and a loss in music education will be a detriment to Centralia schools. 

District residents supported this bond to improve their school district and community. How many would have supported it knowing programmatic cuts would follow? 

We strongly encourage Davalos to consider that, and we ask students, parents, teachers and other community members to voice their opinions loud and clear. 

Ultimately, Davalos works for the school board, not the other way around. If Davalos doesn’t let them vote on the matter, they certainly have the power to find a superintendent in the future who will follow the will of the people as expressed by the elected school board.