Donations
Please read below for a thorough explanation of or costs and funding goals. To donate, please go to the ‘Donate Here’ button above, and you will be linked to our boosters with options to donate by check, Zelle, or Card. We humbly request a family donation of $335 or more if you are able. We have a complimentary ticket program for those who can donate at that level.
As a public school, we value offering a comprehensive music program without cost to the student’s families. Not only is this a legal requirement (see disclaimer below), but it’s also, in our opinion, in line with the philosophy of a public education that’s accessible to all. That being said, we’re always looking for opportunities to offer students enhanced experiences that go beyond the basic curriculum. There are no ‘fees’ or monetary requirements to receive the full experience of the music program. However, we do have funding goals, and we ask families who are able to make donations to our Performing Arts Boosters (PAB). The PAB is a 501c(3) corporation that supports all of our performing arts programs (Choral Music, Dance, Instrumental Music, and Theatre Arts), and donations are tax deductible to the extend allowed by law. Though the PAB is one organization, our accounts are separate, and your donations will go straight to instrumental music. For band and orchestra, many of our needs are connected (music, classroom equipment, etc.), and some are separate (coaches, instruments). We keep track of orchestra vs. band donations to make sure your donations are meeting the needs of your child. Again, and I can’t emphasize this enough, ALL students will receive the same level of instruction, opportunity, and services regardless of what they donate to the program.
Main costs - We receive $750 ($125 per class) from the district for instrument maintenance. Aside from that, we receive no district funds for the music program. We need parent support to:
Maintain Instruments - $6,000. This just keeps us up and running by only maintaining instruments that are currently in use. To fix all instruments so our inventory is always ‘ready to go’ and purchase instruments when needed, that annual budget should be closer to $13,000-$15,000. Although many students bring their own instrument, we need to be able to provide for those who can’t afford to buy/rent their own instrument – especially those who play very expensive instruments like tuba, bassoon, string bass, xylophones, etc. Our music programs needs these instruments to function properly, and many instruments are just too expensive to expect families to cover the individual cost. We need to share that cost collectively for the advancement of the whole program.
Music Purchase - $4000 - $6,000. This is for all groups - marching band, 2 concert bands, 3 string orchestras, full orchestra, and chamber ensembles (including percussion). A typical lower level string piece is $50-$60, and advanced pieces can be significantly more. Band pieces are usually around $100-$125, and more for advanced pieces. Full orchestra pieces can cost several hundred dollars, and possibly more for licensing if they are rental only.
Coaching - This value varies. At minimum, we need $24,000 to cover the string coaches and occasional wind coaches. Ideally, we would like to expand this to include more regular wind coaching. There are double the wind/percussion instruments as there are strings, but only 2 concert groups vs. 3 string groups, so that would end up being an additional $32,000. The ‘dream’ coaching budget is $56,000.
Miscellaneous supplies - $3,000 Music stands, stand lights, music library supplies, uniform supplies, and much more.
Meals - $3,000 Feeding students at football games, festivals, water service in the room
This brings us to the ‘Levels of service’ - Basic, Enhanced, and Conservatory
Basic Level: $0
You get me, Mr. McElroy! Personally, I think that’s a great deal! Money doesn’t affect my ability to teach a comprehensive curriculum and offer a quality musical experience for all students. However, we could not purchase new music, repair instruments, travel, or do the many things that will be mentioned in the next sections. We would have to only play music currently in our library and only offer instruments to students that are currently in good working order.
Enhanced Level: $40,000 (approximately $213 per family)
This includes the basic needs for instrument maintenance, music purchase, coaching, and other costs. Our school has always existed at this level.
Conservatory: $82,000 (approximately $493 per family)
In addition to the much needed expanded instrument maintenance budget, this includes expanded access to professional musicians. Professional interaction is a high priority of our program. I’m very confident in my musical abilities to conduct all levels of band and orchestra. However, at the high school level, the intricacies of each instrument are beyond the scope of any 1 teacher. Bringing in experts help students receive the intensive instruction needed for playing professional level music – which they either are playing now or are developing to be able to play soon. I can’t stress enough how important instrument experts are to the development of a program. (Side note: For anyone interested in moving forward as a music major in college or looking for the most intensive experience they can get in high school, it is near impossible to meet that goal without a private teacher. When parents want to invest in their child’s musical future, they usually first ask about investing in a new instrument. That’s great! However, if you have to choose between one or the other, always invest in private instruction first. A student will grow as a musician far more with a private teacher and a so-so instrument than with a professional instrument and no private instruction).
If we get full participation, we can offer ‘the dream’ – a legitimate music conservatory. At this level, we can offer regular private instruction for every student. There are many students who cannot afford private lessons, and as I mentioned above, there is nothing we can spend money on that improves musicianship, generates enthusiasm, and connects students with music more than interaction with professionals. We have yet to meet this goal, but we hope to do so every year.
Our funding goal for each family is $335. We understand that some families can donate more, and some families can only donate a lesser amount (or not at all). Any amount is appreciated. As a ‘thank you,’ all families that donate at this level will not have to purchase tickets to our 4 instrumental music concerts for the year. Tickets are $10, but we will offer complimentary tickets to all families that donate at this level. Although we will offer this year-round, we ask for donations to be in by September 30th in order to be printed on our donor board in the lobby. Also, at some point, we need to decide which services we can offer, so if you can’t donate by September 30th, but intend on donating that or any other amount, please communicate that with Mr. McElroy. Maybe you plan on donating $50 per month for 7 months … Great! We will still offer you the complimentary tickets. Just communicate your intention, please.
Thank you for reading through, and thank you for your consideration in donating to our program. Please note the legal disclaimer below.
Please note that the Constitution of the State of California requires that we provide a public education to you free of charge. Your right to a free education is for all school/educational activities, whether curricular or extracurricular, and whether you get a grade for the activity or class. Subject to certain exceptions, your right to a free public education means that we cannot require you or your family to purchase materials, supplies, equipment or uniforms for any school activity, nor can we require you or your family to pay security deposits for access, participation, materials, or equipment.