Eliminating Music Programs: The Financial Effect
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Category:
Statistic |
Issue(s) Addressed:
Music and overall budget Music as efficient use of school budget |
Attribution
“FOCUS ON BUDGET: Reverse Economics – Developing a Fiscal Case for Your Music Program (Part 2 of 2).” John Benham, Supportmusic.com, May 1, 2008.
Item Text
“[One] case study … illustrates the financial effect of cutting music programs. In this district the administrative proposal was to eliminate 70% of the orchestra staff, and 48% of the band staff (initially equated to 7.8 FTE). However, the district indicated that they would only cut 5.2 FTE band and orchestra positions for an anticipated annual savings of $156,000 (based on an average salary figure of $30,000, excluding benefits.)
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In the first year of these proposed cuts, all instrumental students in grades 4, 5 and 6, approximately 1800 students, would be eliminated from participation in band and orchestra … the district would have needed to open 29 new classes and hire 6.4 FTE classroom teachers to replace the 5.2 FTE instrumental teachers to teach former instrumental music students (6.4 FTE x $30,000 at a cost of $192,000).
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By year five, for all practical purposes, the band and orchestra programs would have collapsed. The district would have needed to hire 12.6 cumulative classroom FTE for 63 classes of former instrumental music students at a cost of $378,000. Added to the anticipated savings of $156,000 this would have amounted to an annual budget miscalculation (reverse economic effect) of $534,000.”
Links
Submitter Information
- Name: MENC Staff
- Email: advocacy@menc.org