Financial Effects of the Voucher System
I'm mostly just ranting here bc I don't have many people to talk to about it and the district is being a little secretive about details.
My school district's board has been coming up with and voting in "draft scenarios" to save money in the next couple of years bc they are in a HUGE (currently $44million) budget deficit.
A large portion of this deficit is due to the new private school voucher system that is starting here in Texas, meaning less state funding for us public school folks.
Most of the draft scenarios have been for central administration positions and possible school closures, which is terrible in itself but hasn't really affected the majority of teachers and students until this upcoming vote.
I am an elementary Music teacher. They are considering cutting Elementary Art and Elementary Music from the district altogether. Several districts surrounding us have cut their arts programs already in various ways. I do not know how they plan to make secondary arts programs work if they eliminate elementary, or how they plan to make fine arts instructional minutes work legally.
I understand that we are in a financial crisis and they're doing everything they can to save money before the budget starts affecting students. But this will affect students so heavily. I have been stuck in a trance since I found out from a leaked photo from a recent board meeting.
I'm just getting started in this field (year 3) and now it feels like my entire world is falling apart.
I'm just trying to hold myself together for these last couple weeks of the school year, but omg I am feeling such intense feelings.
I already struggle to show the community that music education matters. Advocacy for the discipline is such an important part of teaching music. I hope we don't lose it all.