Fifth and sixth grade offers strings and band. Ideally, they would be organized so that each session would be limited to students playing the same instrument. More often they now involve a variety of instruments with some down time for individual students during the 25 minutes. One music teacher may have 170 students in five schools. There is also an after school band program for fifth and sixth graders for one hour, one afternoon a week.
Most students use rented instruments.
It is my impression that the District has sufficient instruments that students who are unable to buy or rent can be provided instruments owned by the school. Thus, there is the possibility that we are at least for now offering a performance music program potentially open to all. I would like to see the numbers on levels of participation by low income students, but Ms. Wiebener believes they are relatively high in the elementary school. Costs There are at least three reasons for looking at the cost of this program. It needs to be run as efficiently as any other.