Band parents and students from Tyee High in SeaTac protested on March 22 a decision to schedule band after school.

Speaking before the Highline School Board, parents said the principals at the Tyee campus had informed them that band practice would be moved from the last class period of the school day to an after-school activity in September.

Tyee is split into three small learning communities, each with its own principal.

The speakers said the change would effectively end the band program because students have jobs and other important after-school activities.

District officials have emphasized that, despite conversions to small learning communities, band will continue to be offered at the Tyee, Highline, Mt. Rainier and Evergreen campuses.

Before the parents and students talked, Superintendent John Welch noted, “In the past, this has not been a superintendent or board decision.” However, he promised to think about the principals’ decision.

At the March 8 board meeting, he declared, “How and when to schedule band is the principals’ decision and I won’t overrule it.”

Contacted later, Joan Ferrigno, principal of Odyssey School on the Tyee campus, said the three principals had been asked to give their “best thinking” on band scheduling and have submitted their proposal to the district for a final decision.

According to a district fact sheet, options for scheduling band are being discussed. District officials note the dilemma is how best to allocate a limited number of teacher hours during the school day to reach the goal of getting nine out of ten students ready for college.

She said there are only 45 band members on a campus with about a thousand students.

“We want to do what’s best for the greatest number, not a small number of students,” Ferrigno added.

“With limited resources and probably reduced resources next year, we just can’t support such a small group.”

Students would still receive a full school credit for taking band after school, she noted.

Ferrigno said scheduling the band during last period this year forced the small schools to all adopt the same schedule.

Tyee staff wants the schools to be autonomous with no students “crossing over” from one school to take classes in another school.

After hearing from the speakers, board members praised band programs.

Citing the small-school concepts of forming relationships through tight communities, board member Julie Burr Spani said, “I can’t think of a better example than band.”

Board vice president Matt Pina added, “Band gives a chance for some students to shine.”

Barry Ladenburg, president of Tyee Band Boosters, said the Tyee band lost members this year after practice was moved to last period.

Ladenburg added the principals did not ask for input from staff, parents and students at Tyee or its feeder school, Chinook Middle.

He said they said they didn’t know who would teach band and refused to believe a move to after school would kill the program.

Ferrigno said the principals consulted teachers in their schools. The teachers favored placing band after school.

Calling band “an excellent program,” Ferrigno said she hoped it would continue after school with the music instructor.

Band parent Eric Floodeen declared, “I love this band,” adding that the musical group had won several first-place and gold awards and had traveled to Anaheim, Calif., Chicago and other cities for band contests.

Sixteen Tyee students have been selected to go to the state finals competition, he said.

Kurt Howard, also a band parent, reported on a conversation he had with the band director at Foster High in Tukwila.

According to Howard, the Foster band shrank from 60 to 12 members after the school divided into small learning communities and is losing band students to private schools.

Parent Kathy Huling suggested that band be incorporated into Global Connections, one of Tyee’s small schools.

Ferrigno said later that the idea had been rejected.

Huling also testified that if band members transfer to another school, Tyee would be losing leaders and students who have learned how to work together.

Band member Lafe Altier admitted he isn’t a good student but said his band participation helped him get a scholarship to Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma.

“Band is a great program that allowed me to excel,” Altier commented. “It was a great experience for me, and it is a great experience that could be taken away from everyone else.”

Declaring that quitting her after-school job “is not an option,” student Edith Carlson said she could not continue in the band next year.

“I would hate to see such an incredible program go away,” Carlson added.

Another student, Jacob Elmore, said band had kept him in school.

“Tyee does not have the best reputation, but Tyee Band has a great reputation,” Elmore stated. “It’s one of the best programs you have ever heard.”