The Eastmont school district is currently going through district-wide budget cuts that will be affecting EHS, EJHS, and SJHS music programs. Some main things that will happen due to this budget cut is that many instruments won’t be able to get repaired/replaced, teachers won’t be able to purchase new music for their students to learn/play, and these programs won’t be able to pay for some educational trips that they’ve been going on for years.

Another thing is that due to these budget cuts the orchestra director at the JHS and SJHS Carol Byman will not be returning to the strings department, and the standalone position has been discontinued. The Orchestras will be condensed into fewer leveled sections and will be assigned to other music teachers, which will cause other music departments to condense since the other music teachers must absorb the orchestra classes in addition to their current classes.

Ms. Byman adds that “Removing the director position will affect the quality of student instruction (if the class is taught by someone other than a string specialist) and the consistency of instruction as students will experience more transitions.” Additionally,  “This will both remove the opportunity for students to make meaningful connections with the teacher and also result in slower learning progress as there will be a much higher level of differentiation required and lessons will be less targeted as a result.”

This is sad because our music departments are very wonderful and they do exceptionally at concerts and festivals, for example this year in march the music departments from each school went to the NCWMEA festival at Wenatchee High School, and each music program from EHS earned a superior plus which is the highest rating you could get and both JHS and SJHS also earned superior ratings.