MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — Changes are in store for a well-known high school music program highly lauded for its unique educational offerings, like mariachi.
Mount Vernon School district leaders announced this week that Mount Vernon High School’s band program will be significantly reduced, including the removal of Music Theory and Sound Engineering classes for next school year. Daisy Cardona, the high school’s band director, is also among 14 teachers who are being laid off due to budget constraints.
Now, parents are pushing back.
“We don’t feel that they really thought ahead sufficiently,” said Stefanie Lejeunesse, whose son is in freshman band. “Understand the full depth of what Ms. Cardona does.”
Lejeunesse and other parents passed out flyers at Tuesday night’s Graduate Parade in downtown Mount Vernon that included a QR code to an online petition. That petition intends to get the district to reverse its decisions on music program cuts.
For graduates of the school’s music program, like Maritza Sanchez, who KING 5 first introduced you to last year, the evening was bittersweet.
“We’re cutting down teachers and cutting down the program. It’s just really sad to see that… It worries a lot of students about what's to come next,” said Sanchez. “They’re there at pep rallies, they're there at different events, and it's just like, what’s a high school without a band?”
She said students are concerned it could mean portions of the mariachi program are on the chopping block as well.
The National Association for Music Education reports that schools with music programs have a higher attendance rate of 93%, compared to 85% in schools without music programs.
“I know Ms. Cordona took over a mariachi class, so I know it's gonna, like, affect it,” said Sanchez. "For those students that want to go into music after high school, not having those classes available to them is really hurtful."
This is a perspective that many seem to share. The online petition has now garnered about 1,000 signatures.
Mount Vernon School District Superintendent Ismael Vivanco said this was a difficult decision to make.
He wrote in an email, “Student enrollment at MVHS is trending downwards, with a projected decrease of approximately 115 students next year, and continued declines in subsequent years. This lower enrollment will affect all of our programs, including music. The anticipated financial resources are not adequate to maintain the district’s educational program and services at substantially the same level as the current year.”
He added, “Personnel changes can have significant impacts on both students and the overall success of programs like the music program. While we are unable to discuss specific personnel matters, these decisions are not made lightly.”