Supporters of Waynesboro schools come out in force

Teachers, students and parents offered vocal support Tuesday night for the Waynesboro school system, which finds itself in a budget struggle, asking specifically that the high school band program be spared a potential cut.

At least one member of the School Board, Jeremy Taylor, said the spirited comments from the speakers convinced him that the band director’s position must stay at Waynesboro High.

“We would be losing a large part of the program,” Taylor said.          

As Waynesboro School Board members grapple with a $1.3 million shortfall in the 2012-13 budget, they assembled Tuesday night to hear the community’s priorities.

Final decisions on the budget are necessary at the end of March.

Superintendent Robin Crowder has offered a series of potential cuts.

The first round includes cutting an art teacher, band teacher, physical education teacher, instructional coach and literacy extension teacher.

One teacher told the board that a lower quality school system would hurt the students later in life.

Mary Meade, chairwoman of the Waynesboro High science department and local teacher of the year in 2007, said graduates of the city schools now compete successfully across the country.

But any diminishing of the schools’ program would hamper the students’ future opportunities, she said.

Meade offered testimony from graduates of the Waynesboro schools who have attained advanced college degrees and career success.

“If we in Waynesboro hope to continue to turn out the very best products, we must continue to put out the very best resources,” she said.

An elimination of the band director’s position at Waynesboro High drew many comments Tuesday night.

Jeff Melton, band director at Kate Collins Middle School, said the cut would force him to provide instruction at the middle and high schools.

He said the demands would mean both programs would suffer, and he said the music instruction for students would be less.

Angie Breeden spoke as a parent of Waynesboro students who have participated in band and the arts.

She said she has enjoyed seeing her son playing the trumpet, the saxophone and the flute.

She said students could leave a math class and go to band and unwind.

“They are releasing the gifts God gave them,” she said.

Tom Pereles, a parent of students in the city schools, said some of his favorite memories were made playing in the band.

He said it would be unfair to have one band teacher for the middle school and the high school.

The Waynesboro City Council didn’t allow the school district to spend a budget surplus a year ago, Pereles said.

The Waynesboro schools have repeatedly done more with less funding, he said.

Pereles said it is the City Council’s job to find revenue to sufficiently fund public education, and he challenged them to do so.

“Find a way to support this community’s education needs,” he said, “or come Election Day, find out how much this community supports you.”

School Board members asked Crowder to look at potential savings in school district travel and memberships.

The superintendent said he anticipated it could be another two weeks before he has firm numbers from the Virginia General Assembly on the final amount of state funding the school system can expect in the next fiscal year.