They don’t intend to let the beat die.
A small, but passionate, group met Sunday at the Coupeville Library to discuss ways to try and keep music going in Central Whidbey schools during a time of major budget cuts.
Now, led by Emily Zenz, whose son Christopher is a CMS 7th grader, the race is on to preserve what can be saved, and help local educators build a more solid base from which to operate.
The scramble is due to the music programs in Coupeville Schools being among the first cuts as administrators work towards trimming $1.66 million from the budget.
By a 4-1 vote, the school board adopted a “modified education plan” in late April brought forward by outgoing Superintendent Steve King.
That plan cut the secondary music program and an elementary school “program to be named later” — likely art/music or STEM — and authorized the reduction of up to six certificated teachers.
Further cuts will be announced by the end of May.
King, who is returning to being a teacher, this time in Hawaii, will be replaced by Shannon Leatherwood.
As he is preparing to leave, King has expressed hope that the shuttering of the music program is not permanent.
“Recommended program reductions are temporary,” he said. “And the district is dedicated to restoring them when resources are available.”
That sliver of hope has spurred Zenz, who comes from a highly musical family, to begin the process of doing everything possible to fight the good fight.
“We need to nurture the seed, and cultivate the soil,” she said at Sunday’s meeting.
“We need music boosters, we need support; the kids of Coupeville deserve to have the same options as kids who don’t live in a small town.”
In the short term, Zenz and fellow parents are scrambling to pull together a float featuring young musicians for the Memorial Day Parade next weekend.
After that, goals include creating a web site which will feature local resources and events, putting together a music booster club similar to what local athletic supporters have built, and searching out possible grants.
Whether it’s finding a way to jump through all the loopholes and fund music instruction inside the schools, or building outside opportunities for students, the mission is clear.
“We’re not a dead duck in the water,” Zenz said. “Music is not gone.
“If school were to start a new year tomorrow, yes, it looks like they can’t fund music, but we have four months to change things,” she added. “It comes down to us as a community, working together to find solutions.
“A school district having a good music program is a feather in the cap for that district.”
For more info or to help, contact Emily Zenz at (715) 379-7915 or save.coupeville.music @gmail.com.
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