It’s time to step up to keep our school programs

By Editor | March 6, 2013 |

Once again, the resilience of Vandalia’s residents has been shown. They’ve been given a sour lemon in the form of multiple cuts to our school programs, and they’re well on their way to making lemonade.
Though last month’s cuts to district programs touched nearly all areas of the school district, two of the most visible cuts were in music and athletics. And those are the areas in which we’ve seen people step up.
For instance, when the school board announced that one of the district’s four music instructor positions would be cut (specifically, the newest member of the staff, high school band instructor, Tony Hicks), the Band Boosters essentially said, “Not in my house.”
And they went to work. Their goal is to raise enough money ($55,000) to secure the position for next year. Early reports indicate that they are more than halfway to that goal. Then they’ll go to work on securing it for future years.
They feel that strongly about the positive influence the program and Hicks have had on their children, and they want it to continue in the same way it has been.
One major fund-raiser is already planned – a special concert by the junior high and high school bands on Monday, March 25, at 7 p.m. in the VCHS gymnasium. An admission fee will be charged, and various raffles and silent auctions will be held.
As one of the major sponsors of the concert, The Leader-Union will be publicizing the concert in the two weeks prior to the event. More information will be released in the next two issues of The Leader-Union. Put it on your calendar and plan to attend.
The same reaction came when the school board announced that it was getting out of the transportation business for away athletic contests. The Vandalia Sports Boosters, which has been involved in providing valuable equipment and resources to augment the school’s athletic programs, has taken the lead in exploring options in the transportation area. But the sports boosters’ hurdle is a little higher than the band – they need to replace a program that cost the district more than $120,000 per year.
That's a tall order for an organization that worked all year to raise a fourth of that amount.
At last Saturday’s monthly meeting of the Sports Boosters, the group heard about potential solutions. Those include various fund-raising activities, the possibility of purchasing used coach buses and vans to transport the teams, and the need to get more individuals and businesses involved in the Sports Boosters.
“We’ve already had individuals and businesses step up and offer to help,” said Steve Ledbetter, Sports Boosters president.
“But if we’re going to address this situation, we can’t be a small group anymore,” he told the group. “We need more people. Sometimes it takes a big issue like this to get people to step up.”
We’re hoping that many people will come forward – for both programs. As state funds continue to dry up, more pressure will be put on communities to support the programs that are important to them. We’ll do our best to keep our readers updated on all activities that these two groups plan.
The people of Vandalia need to be involved. Music, sports and countless other activities won’t operate in the way that they have before. It’s up to us to keep things going.
Meanwhile, please pass the lemonade.
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