CAMARILLO : Parents Urge Fees to Save Music Program
A group of parents and other Camarillo residents anxious to save the elementary schools’ instrumental music program proposed to the school board Thursday night that students pay for instruction.
Under the proposal, fourth- through eighth-grade students in Pleasant Valley School District’s 13 elementary schools would each pay $90 per semester for instrumental music.
The school board in June cut the instrumental music program to help balance its budget for next year.
At least 30 parents and other residents who had protested the cuts formed a task force to explore alternative ways to pay for the program. The group has been trying to raise money from grants and other private sources, co-chairwoman Annette Okamura said.
However, the task force needs at least $59,000 to continue the instrumental program at the same level as in the last school year. Because of the difficulty of raising that amount of money in the short period before school starts, the task force proposed having students pay for the program, spokeswoman Carrie McDade said.
A portion of student fees would be used as scholarships for students unable to afford the full cost, McDade said.
The school board voted to discuss the proposal further at its Thursday meeting.
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