Save our middle school music programs - ACT NOW! The board will make their decision on April 8th.

Please note that the board will be making their decision on April 8th! 

In the current proposed budget, there will be more than $250,000 cut from middle school music programs. In 2022-2023, the programs suffered a 20% cut, and this further cut would be almost another 20% taken from our music programs. 

What can we do? 

1) Write a letter to trustee Sherri Bell and superintendent Deb Whitten. You can use this sample letter as a template or general framework. 

Sherri Bell:  officialtrustee@sd61.bc.ca     Deb Whitten: dwhitten@sd61.bc.ca

2) Write to your local MLA to advocate for more funding for public education. The board is only given so much money every year and required to balance the budget. With rising costs, cuts are becoming necessary, to the detriment of our kids’ education. 

3) There is a special board meeting on April 8, at 6:30, 556 Boleskine. A strong parent attendance shows that we care about music. The meeting will also be live-streamed on YouTube. Agenda is here.

4) Students at Mt Doug Secondary have started a fundraiser to raise the money we need to keep these programs in our schools. The funds need to be raised by April 8. The superintendent has confirmed that the funds will go directly towards these programs. If the goal is not reached, the funds will be refunded to donors. Hermanns Jazz Club was recently saved by raising half a million dollars - let’s make that magic happen again! Please consider donating and/or sharing! https://chuffed.org/project/saveourmusicsd61