Music Matters

Music Matters is a community group that supports quality music education and experience for youth in Willmar Public Schools.

What We Do:

• Advocate for sustainable, consistent and adequate public funding of music and arts education at the local, state and national levels
• Increase public awareness of Willmar Public Schools K-12 music program
• Provide supplemental funding to assure continuous high quality music education is available to all students of Willmar Public Schools

Concerns:

• Our Willmar School District has faced many extremely difficult financial decisions and some of those have now significantly affected our music program.
• During the 2008 – 2009 school year, several high school music staff traveled to teach in the junior high and elementary schools creating loss of band  lessons and time for working with students to prepare for all-state auditions, solo-ensemble contest, etc.
• Additional reductions for the 2009 – 2010 school year anticipates the loss of offering the AP Music Theory Class, even more travel time by music teachers away from their primary buildings, middle school students will not be able to participate in all three music offerings:  band, choir and orchestra and elementary classes will have decreased exposure to basic music elements and performance opportunities.

How Can You Help?

• Please consider making a donation to help provide supplemental funding to assure high quality music education in the Willmar Public Schools.
• Click on MAKE A DONATION for instructions to make your contribution..
• The Music Matters fund is managed through the Southwest Initiative Foundation and grant requests will be made directly to the Willmar Public School District for music program funding.
• Support Willmar Public Schools levy referendums
• Contact our legislators and governor.
• Representative Al Juhnke Rep.al.juhnke@house.mn
• Senator Joe Gimse Sen.joe.gimse@senate.mn
• Governor Pawlenty www.governor.state.mn.us

lf the state decides to reduce the funding for K-12 education, the school district could face further budget reductions before the start of school this fall.

Please take the time to contact your government representatives via e-mail as soon as possible. ln your emails, feel free to mention our ever expanding class sizes, our incredible budget cuts the past two years, the loss of important programs and staff in our schools.

Emphasize the importance of education and that we rely on our elected officials to honor their constitutional duty to provide adequate education for all children!

Thanks for supporting Willmar Public Schools!