With music education on the budget chopping block, what is an NFA student doing to fight it?

Due to a budget shortfall, Norwich Public Schools will let over 40 teachers go, including three music teachers, at the end of the school year.

One Norwich Free Academy student, junior Drea Tutt, started a GoFundMe page to support music at NPS. While it only raised $210 as of Tuesday, she’s hopeful momentum will pick up, she said.

Tutt tried pasting fundraiser posters around NFA, but the school asked her to take them down. However, she’s still promoting the cause on social media, and she still has a few leftover flyers, she said.

Like family

Tutt started in school band during the 2020-21 school year. In a short time, Tutt has learned the value of music education firsthand, she said.

“Having band shows me how important it is, and how many opportunities there are,” Tutt said.

For Tutt, music has helped with school and serves as an outlet when times are bad.

Melissa Mainville, Tutt’s mother, has noticed the positive path band put her daughter on.

“They literally create a family with their other band members,” Mainville said.

A band trip gone awry showed that family spirit. The NFA band went to Boston for a trip, but it got cut short a day due to the flu. The band director, who was also sick, ordered care packages for each of the sick students, including soup and saltines, Mainville said.

The BOE meeting

Prior to the April 16 Norwich Board of Education meeting, a rumor spread that music would be entirely cut from NPS, as it had been in previous budget crunches. The staffing cuts developed by the district administration avoided too many cuts from any one department. However, most of the 44 cut positions were funded by pandemic-related grants, so these cuts made only a dent on the $7 million difference between the $100 million NPS wanted, and the $93 million budget the Norwich City Council is currently willing to give.

Tutt was among the NFA students who spoke at the meeting. She also asked Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and Norwich Mayor Peter Nystrom what can be done about the music program during a question and answer session held at NFA on April 17.

“I still feel that if you’re cutting teachers, you’re still going to have a big impact on the program,” Tutt said.

The Board of Education appreciates the community’s support for music, which could impact the budget process between the district, the city and the state, Acting Superintendent Susan Lessard stated in an April 19 letter.

“Once again, thank you for your unwavering support of our music program and our schools,” she said. “Together, we can ensure every student gets the high-quality education that they deserve.”

Impact of music education

Tutt wants the money raised to be spent in whichever way is best for music education, she said.

Starting music education at a young age is crucial for students’ learning and forming bonds, Tutt said.

“Learning music isn’t just about the music,” she said.

Music programs are an outlet for students to deal with stress and find their own voice, Mainville said.

“They develop these bonds and friendships and people looking out for them,” she said.

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Norwich Free Academy student starts fundraiser for NPS music education