CORRECTION: The board of education did not take a formal vote on the survey nor was a formal motion made.
Unified School District 232 in De Soto will gauge families’ interest in adding a district orchestra program.
Driving the news: The board of education on Monday asked district administrators to conduct a community survey next semester to see if families would be interested in an orchestra program for students.
State of play: At Monday’s meeting, Brian Schwanz, USD 232 executive director of secondary education, shared initial information about what a potential orchestra program could look like.
- Alvie Cater, a district spokesperson, told the Post via email “there are currently more questions than answers,” which is what prompted the board to seek out what parents think before moving forward with more research and potential plans.
- The district has not gotten so far as to even consider at what grade levels an orchestra program would be offered.
- Currently, USD 232 offers band programs in the middle and high school but not orchestra.
Bottom line: If the board decides to implement an orchestra program, it wouldn’t be launched until the 2024-25 or 2025-26 school year at the earliest, Cater said.
Key quote: “No decisions have been made, as this remains very preliminary and in a fact-finding phase,” Cater said.
Back story: A high school student spoke to the board in July about the importance of considering an orchestra program, Cater said.
- That’s when the board asked district administration to look into the possibility of adding orchestra.
- A review of the district’s considerations can be found in the document embedded below.
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Open in new tab What’s next: Cater said the district plans to continue to gather information — and update the board at future meetings.
