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May 1, 2008 FOCUS ON BUDGET: Reverse Economics – Developing a Fiscal Case for Your Music Program (Part 2 of 2) In Part 1 of this article on reverse economics , I showed you how to collect and analyze district-wide data related to student participation in music programs. Many school board members assume that eliminating elementary music education programs will ease present day budget crunches, as well as longer-term budgetary constraints, with little detrimental effect on student participation in music in the upper grade levels. Nothing could be further from the truth. We already know the intrinsic value of music education for students: this article shows that maintaining strong elementary music education programs offers long-term fiscal value as well. Extensive national case studies indicate that when the grade 5 elementary instrumental and/or choral feeder system is eliminated, the subsequent decline in student participation at the secondary level will be a minimum of 65%. Within four years this decline in participation is incurred at the high school level. [Note: This has to do with the well-known concept of "windows of learning" opportunities that reach their maximum level between ages 10 and 12. See the last line on the chart from Part 1, Student Participation in Band, (7 - "Eliminate Grade 5,") to see the anticipated impact on band enrollment in subsequent grades.] Any circumstance that causes a decline in student enrollment or prevents students from participation will have a negative cost effect on the district budget. In the chart above, the anticipated long term loss of 380 band students (caused by the proposed elimination of grade 5 band) would necessitate the eventual employment of 3.3 FTE secondary non-music class room teachers (380 students/116 student load average), while maintaining an appropriate number of music performance FTE to continue the program of those students still electing participation. The elimination of an elementary music performance "pull-out" program only delays the reverse economic effect for a year or two until those (former or potential) students reach the secondary school level. At that point, the temporary “solution” becomes the cause of an even deeper financial crisis. Eliminating Music Programs: The Financial Effect A second case study, represented in the chart below, 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.) What they didn’t do is calculate the impact on student enrollment. In the following chart, there were originally 2,529 students in band and orchestra in grades 4 through 12, including two high schools, four middle schools, and eight elementary schools.
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. No new students would be started in either band or orchestra until grade 7. In addition, enough middle students would have been eliminated so that 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). By year three, since no new students would have been started during those years, more non-instrumental students would have moved into the upper grades, and senior classes would have been graduated, the district would have been required to hire 10.2 cumulative FTE for 50 classes at a cost of $300,000. Only 360 combined band and orchestra students would have remained in the program for the 14 schools. 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. Using Data & Concept of In this district, thankfully, advocates in the music coalition were able to use data and the concept of reverse economics to show that the long-term effects of eliminating the music program would cost more than the initial savings anticipated. Perhaps you’re not surprised to find that, when presented with this information, the board overruled the administrative proposal to cut the music programs and reinstated all of the instrumental music positions. Should you need further information, please write to me at <jlbenham@gmail.com> A financial crisis always exposes the underlying educational philosophy of your school district.
Dr. John Benham
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