OCSD’s All Music Based Budget

by Contributor | May 5, 2016 8:24 pm

To the Editor:

I am writing to you in regards to the OCSD budget presentation on Tuesday April 5, 2016. As outlined by Dr. Dean Goewey, the budget is one of the tightest and includes job and programing cuts like we have not seen in recent times.

As a taxpayer in this city, I have a hard time swallowing the idea that all areas of OCSD will be “deeply impacted,” as Dr. Goewey stated. Yes, athletics will be affected, yes numerous instructional and non-instructional employees will lose their jobs, but what about some individual areas, such as the Music and the theater department?

Over the past few decades, we have been lucky to have a locally renowned Music and theater department, but at what cost to taxpayers in Oswego?

At OCSD’s regular Board of Education meeting on June 2, 2015, the board approved numerous consultant positions and extra stipends for marching band, the OHS Musical, as well as winter guard. These positions totaled over $40,000. On August 18, 2015 the BOE approved a Marching Band instructor for $1,800. Looking at entire 2015-16 adopted budget, Music’s total budget, not including instructional salaries totals over a whopping $168,000, which include $18,000 for Music transportation. Music’s total budget far outpaces any other instructional department district wide.

At the budget proposal on April 5, 2016, Dr. Goewey proposed ONLY $13,800 in reductions to Music, not proposing any staff cuts to this department as he did with so many other departments. Dr. Goewey stated that many staff reductions were through attrition as is the case with numerous positions district wide. Also during the meeting on April 5th was the announcement of numerous retirements, including Cheryl Rodgers, a Music teacher at OHS.

However, Dr. Goewey did NOT include any proposed cuts to Music from the 24 total cuts, but did include 2 English positions, one social studies, one science, but again NO Music CUTS. The difference between these cuts is that Music is an elective department not required by the state.

There were also no reductions to the OHS theater staff, supplies and equipment which total over $100,000.

How can OCSD say they are building a fair and responsible, revenue based budget when they are not proposing ANY position cuts to Music or theater except for a ridiculously small dent of their $168,000 budget and remember this $168,000 does not include Music teachers salaries!

Additionally all clubs/ organizations were proposed to be cut… let’s see what stays next year, I bet marching band will make the list!

Joe Demming

Oswego

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/ocsds-all-music-based-budget/

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