Letter to the Editor: Centralia School District, Please Preserve Strings Program 

Posted

I am a parent who is concerned about the recent Centralia School District levy failure leading to cuts to our strings program.

The strings program has been enormously important to our family and we have worked hard to support it through the formation of the Centralia Orchestra Boosters, stirring up local business support and community engagement for our many activities. To the degree we are able, we have been self-supporting through our own contributions because we, like other parents with students in strings, are passionate about this wonderful program and we feel it deserves to be a priority.

Cuts made to the district strings program have gutted enrollment in recent years, and we can ill-afford to strike this discipline from the curriculum. Continuing in that direction will be severely damaging to students, many of whom represent those who may otherwise be least-engaged in learning.

These students would lose an opportunity to feel an important sense of connectedness and contribution to their school community. I know strings has played an integral role in allowing our daughter to experience success in a school environment that has frankly been a very challenging one at times.

I cannot speak authoritatively regarding the body of research which proves the value of music education to cognitive development — that data exists elsewhere, of course, but this ain’t that kind of letter. This, instead, is one that says, “I imagine budget cuts are harder than those who routinely say ‘I know budget cuts are hard’ realize, but I do not believe this is an area we can afford to dip from anymore.”

Enrollment data shows that strings has taken some major blows in recent years. In 2016, we had 294 students enrolled in strings, ranging from fourth to 12th grade. In 2017, fourth-grade strings classes were cut. In 2018, fifth and sixth-grade strings classes were cut. This year, we have just 35 students enrolled in strings.

I believe that our strings program can flourish if it is allowed to do so. I hope that our school district will consider, as we do, the strings program as an important aspect of what our district has to offer, and value it accordingly. 



If I may, I will close by sharing an anecdote. At our most recent strings concert, we were seated next to a young couple from a small neighboring community where they have no such program. After the performance (which was a joint affair by the middle school and high school strings groups), I heard the gentleman say to his wife, “Wow. I would like (their daughter) to go to school in (neighboring community), but I don’t want her to miss this. This is awesome!”

I felt a sense of pride. I have lived in Centralia for 50 years, and I have not always felt a sense of pride. 

“Centralia Strings Orchestra!”

 

Clyde Berry

Centralia