Greensburg Salem students and parents try to stop band cuts - TribLIVE

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A group of Greensburg Salem School District students and parents are trying to prevent district leaders from making cuts to the music program.

“We love these programs, they mean the world to us,” said Ryann Shirey, who just finished her sophomore year at Greensburg Salem High School. She’s been involved in music programs since fourth grade. “Marching band is my favorite thing in the whole world.”

Shirey and several other students created a group called Student Advocates for Arts in Education in response to the school board’s proposed cuts.

“We’ve been fighting the school board on stuff like this,” Shirey said, “so me and a small group of other students got together and decided enough is enough.”

They created an online petition on change.org that had more than 12,600 signatures as of Friday night.

“I didn’t expect there to be this many signatures, and I didn’t expect it to be this soon,” Shirey said. “I think it’s great, there are people in the community behind us, people from all over are behind us and what we’re trying to accomplish.”

The board’s proposed budget would eliminate the sole elementary band teacher’s position, saving about $85,000. That teacher would be moved to replace a high school chorus teacher who retired this month, according to Tom McGuire, president of the Greensburg Salem Band Parents Association. The budget would also eliminate the marching band majorette advisor supplemental position, saving about $4,000.

Additionally, the board last month reversed an earlier decision to spend $50,000 to replace the district’s 15-year-old marching band uniforms.

The cuts were proposed because of a projected loss of revenue as a result of the coronavirus. Board members have vowed not to raise taxes this year because many residents are likely feeling the financial effects of the economic shutdown prompted by the virus.

McGuire said eliminating the elementary school band teacher would be disastrous for the long-term health of music education at Greensburg Salem.

“In a few short years, there will be no marching, concert, or jazz band,” he said.

The proposed budget would also furlough two teachers, eliminating the middle school and elementary school library positions.

It would eliminate several more positions through attrition, including a tech ed teacher, community liaison, and three instructional aides.

All the proposed cuts would save about $639,000.

The Student Advocates for Arts in Education and the band parents association have asked the district to consider a tax increase to restore the band teacher and other cut positions.

If this cannot be done, the board should look elsewhere for cost savings, McGuire said.

“The school district could again evaluate its expenses for another solution that does not eliminate the only elementary band teacher from what is already the smallest instructional department within the school district,” he said.

The school board will discuss the budget at a meeting 7 p.m. June 17, then vote on a final budget at 7:30 p.m. June 29.

The last several meetings have been held remotely using the videoconferencing app Zoom.

This remains the plan for June’s meetings, but there’s a chance they could be held in person depending on the state of Pennsylvania’s social distancing restrictions at the time, according to the district.

Jacob Tierney is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jacob at 724-836-6646, jtierney@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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