Music Student 'Schools' Bristol Township Board On Math

Doom and gloom frequented the Bristol Township School Board meetings since Gov. Tom Corbett's proposed state budget slashed public school funding earlier this year leaving the township with a $3 million burden upon its back.

Worried residents flocked to each subsequent meeting, fretting over which programs would be cut out of their children's education the following school year. When it was determined that it would likely be elementary music classes to get the axe, angry parents came in droves, searching for answers and equitable solutions.

A favored solution came to the board at Monday night's planning meeting from an unlikely suspect -- a student.

Kevin McCann, an 18-year-old soon-to-be graduate of Harry S. Truman High School, attended the last four school board meetings with a singular purpose in mind -- save his beloved music program.

McCann is a “bandie.” He lives and breathes the music he plays.

“Music is a passion inside me, that without, would make my life meaningless,” McCann said.

It was that passion that drove McCann to the recesses of the school's budget. Sifting through it, he believed he found extra money that could pay for the elementary music program. He presented it Monday night, standing behind a now all too familiar podium in front of the school board, his hand trembled slightly while holding the paper, but his voice was steadfast and confident.

The extra money McCann believed he found was in the school's reserve fund. Out of $14,338,524 of the banked money, only $2 million was slated to be used. McCann proposed to the board that they take $240,000, less than two percent of the reserve funds, and use it to pay for three music teachers, just enough to keep the weekly program available in the nine elementary schools in the district that housed the program.

Board member W. Earl Bruck initially shot the idea down saying that there was only $14 million in the fund, and that much of it needed to be held for an estimated spike in faculty retirements within the next 15 years.

“The responsibility of our job, first and foremost, is to ensure the future fiscal health of the school system," Bruck said. "This is a no-win position."

Both board member Bruck and Superintendent Sam Lee were quick to point out that due to a planned withdrawal of more than $4 million in the fund for the following year's budget, the proposed $240,000 could dip the fund close to or below state requirements. The state requires a reserve fund to have at minimum five percent of the schools annual budget to be available at any given time.

McCann fired back at the council pointing out what he saw as a flaw in their math and illicitng a roaring round of applause from the audience in the process.

“You are saying there is $14 million and you can't dip below this five percent, but the budget isn't $14 million, there is an extra $338,000. We are just asking for $240,000 of it,” McCann said.

According to McCann's new figures, the money that was rounded down by the council's estimates would push the reserve funds to be almost two percent higher than the state required minimum.

The board sat back to look at each other for the first time all night their expressions were changed. They had nothing to say. McCann felt they were stumped.

After a half a minute Superintendent Lee responded to McCann's suggestion.

“We can definitely look into it," Lee said.

To McCann, the moment of acknowledgment felt like a huge victory. At other meetings, his previous suggestions were either pushed aside or given the same response from the board, “We are looking at every possible avenue.”

Going to meetings for the first time in his life, McCann said he has become exceedingly angry at the responses he's gotten from the school board.

“I'd love to believe that they truly care and I'm sure some do, but I really don't think they are trying,” McCann said.

During one meeting, McCann recalls that when he was going through a proposal he wrote up that he watched board members stand up and simply leave the stage.

“They just up and left while I was in the middle of talking," McCann said. "I don't feel like they are taking this seriously."

McCann's passion for the music program started during fourth grade. The school brought professional musicians to class. He said when they played, he fell in love.

“It was the coolest thing I've ever seen,” McCann said.

Shortly after he began taking the township's elementary music program, he said he learned how to play the saxophone -- a hobby that he said became his life.

McCann's will be graduating from Truman on Friday. In the fall he said he plans on attending college abroad in London at Arcadia University. His graduation will not stop him from fighting for the program that helped shape his life though. McCann said he plans on attending the next school board meeting on June 13 -- the last planning meeting before the June 30 budget deadline.

He said he will go to the podium again in one final plea to save the program he loves.