Save NSD Music

08/12/2025

Way to go, Edmonds!
“According to the Foundation (for Edmonds School District), around 300 students will now be able to continue participating in their music programs.”
“ The Foundation is now assessing whether it can save additional classes, including choir, at one or two schools.”
Even though they couldn’t save all music programs for all students, this is way better than declining the community’s call to fundraise simply because it’s not “equitable”.

Students, parents, and community members in Edmonds have come together to save music programs at several Edmonds middle and high schools.

07/26/2025

Edmonds is lucky to have Rick Steves. Fingers crossed that some of the school district’s music programs can be saved!
https://www.facebook.com/100044597972101/posts/1347488503414403/?app=fbl

05/28/2024

Double NSD board meetings this week! Attend one or both, get latest updates on budgets, and let the district hear what you care about.

5/28 TUE 7pm, Regular Board Meeting, 3330 Monte Villa Pkwy, Bothell

5/29 WED 6pm, Conversations with the Board, Inglemoor High School Library

Note that the second meeting is more of a community discussion style and usually ample time for comments and Q&A.

Latest personnel report reflecting the RIF (Reductions in Force) cuts can be found via the link below to a PDF. For some reason link redirecting doesn't work with FB so I made it non clickable. It will work if you copy paste the URL into your browser and add an H at the beginning. See screenshot.
ttp://go.boarddocs.com/wa/nsd/Board.nsf/files/D5C2NX030FB5/$file/Personnel%20Report%20-%20May%2028%2C%202024.pdf

05/24/2024

My kiddos have been to many classes at Alley Bell Music and totally enjoyed every minute there. When a beloved instrumental program essential to elementary education is cut, it not only affects all of us in the public school system, but also parents and businesses and private entities who take pride in sowing the seeds of music in the littlest members of our society.

Looking at my soon-to-be kindergartener who likes to sing Back Street Boys songs and wants to play drum at school, I can't help but wonder how is his future going to be affected by these waves of cuts on music and arts, and where do music and arts public education go from here?

I went to what is slated to be the LAST 5th grade orchestra concert at my son’s school last night. No 5th grade band or orchestra opportunities next year in the Edmonds School District due to budget cuts.

The arts are always the first to be cut. I actually heard someone say recently, “Well, let’s be honest, music is great, but it’s not like those classes create career opportunities”. They did for me. AND, the kids who fall in love with choral singing or playing in an ensemble are the future concert goers and patrons of the arts.

We cannot afford to let this vital part of our societal fabric disintegrate. Write your legislators demanding they fully fund education. Write your school boards. Show up to the school concerts and give the loudest applause. Music matters. Photo: Miss Sarah’s son

05/18/2024

NSD has not put school closure on the agenda, and hopefully it wont be. However the sentiment here is the same. Parents need to feel heard!

Quoting from the article --
"In the midst of this chaos, the [Bellevue school] district hired a new superintendent, Kelly Aramaki, who dialed the heat way down. He reduced Bellevue’s planned closures from three elementary schools to two, offered detailed explanations of precisely where money would be saved and decided against closing any middle schools — not before trying to reverse enrollment declines by offering an Arabic-language program at parents’ request. This is crucial. Those families felt heard. And this year, the district has about 600 more students."

Seattle Public Schools has problems beyond the financial. In the face of a yawning budget deficit and dwindling enrollment, it's time to get parents on board.

05/13/2024

Reminder: NSD Board Meeting is 4-5:30 PM today at 3330 Monte Villa Pkwy, Bothell.

05/07/2024

It is Teacher Appreciation Week. Let's remember to show appreciations to our specialist teachers and staff! Send a note, a small treat, an art creation, or a gift card to your student’s music/PE/recess teacher/LAP/etc.

Sadly, while we celebrate the teachers in our community, approximately 50 NSD teachers will be getting pink slips and losing their jobs.

I understand cuts are inevitable in the face of a large budget shortfall. The question is, whose interests is the school district prioritizing when making decisions? How are those priorities determined? How is every step of the process communicated to the public? Has the district made enough efforts to solicit parent input? And who have a say in defining how much effort is enough?

Ask the school board these questions via email ([email protected]) or in person at the next board meeting on May 13th, 4pm.
More info on attending the board meeting: https://www.nsd.org/our-district/leadership/school-board/attend-a-school-board-meeting

05/04/2024

Did you know that there are 20 different task forces and committees in Northshore School District, but none is related to music?

There needs to be a Music Task Force formed to study and make recommendations for the music program. This Task Force would comprise parent, educator and central administration representation equally.
The task force can come up with a solution for 5th graders, work to consolidate resources for the entire program, and explore equitable funding options including foundations and grants, which could help the budget.

Write to the school board at [email protected] and request that a task force be formed. Ask them to put Music Task Force as an agenda item for discussion in the next board meeting on May 13th.

Most importantly, attend the next school board meeting (5/13 at 4pm) in person in support of the advocacy efforts!

04/30/2024

The student leaders at Project CliKK created a petition specifically representing the students' voices in our district! Thank you Project CliKK! We couldn't have said it any better.

Ask your elementary, middle, or high schoolers to sign this petition, because music matters, students voice matter.

Save NSD Music! Preserve the 5th grade orchestra and band programs!

04/29/2024

Did you know that band, orchestra, and choir enrollment is much higher than general music at the secondary level?

In addition to creating a stronger general music curriculum in middle school that offers students chances to stay in music beyond the traditional ensemble class, we must preserve the 5th Grade Band and Orchestra program. This program is the foundation for secondary music engagement.

Cutting 5th grade band and orchestra will end up costing the district more money in just a few years and will reduce the middle and high school programs to a state where they will no longer be viable.

As parents in the Northshore School District, we need to keep voicing our opposition to these cuts and request the district do the following:

1. Put on hold the planned cuts to 5th grade band and orchestra.
2. Form a task force. The task force can come up with a solution for 5th graders and also work to strengthen the entire program which could help the budget.

What Can I Do?

1. Write letters and e-mails to tell the district why they need to reconsider cutting music education. Speak from your own experiences and cite the report (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FieE111k0JsBN4HGRn6p_EWkFMEWrwXx/view?usp=drivesdk).

2. Attend the rest of the school board meetings in support of the advocacy efforts.
3. Tell your friends and neighbors, pass out the attached flyer at all the events you attend.

4. Educate yourself by reading the report (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FieE111k0JsBN4HGRn6p_EWkFMEWrwXx/view?usp=drivesdk). Especially check out the summary which begins on page 36.

5. We need help fully funding the creation of the report and the other advocacy efforts. Donate to the GoFundMe and share with your friends. (https://www.gofundme.com/f/SaveNSDMusic)

6. Join the more than 1,700+ signers of the petition. It is one way to show the district this is a pressing matter that MANY people are invested in. (https://www.change.org/p/keep-elementary-band-orchestra-in-northshore-sd )

04/22/2024

Hello NSD Families!

NSD is planning to cut the 5th grade Band and Orchestra programs to help solve its financial crisis. Cutting these programs will end up costing more money in as soon as 2 years. The proposed cut to 5th Grade Band and Orchestra is 6.0 FTE. The district will have to hire 7.99 FTE in the future to cover those students that would otherwise be in a high density music ensemble class.

- The rush to judgment in ratifying the decision to eliminate the elementary band and orchestra program was not only a financial miscalculation, it demonstrates abandonment of the Strategic Plan in which the community had placed its faith.
- Cutting 5th Grade Band and Orchestra *without a replacement program* is projected to cause a 65% loss of Band and Orchestra Enrollment from 6-12th Grade. Our music program cannot survive with that large of decline in enrollment.
- Although our district has a great reputation for music, our student participation numbers are quite low, especially when considering our district size and wealth. A task force needs to be created to determine the root causes of our program’s attrition rates.
- There is strong evidence to conclude that in 4-5 years our music program would cease to exist.

We will be presenting a report with recommendations to the board during the *board meeting on April 22nd*. The goal is to educate the district on the impacts of these cuts, share insights and propose the district create a task force to further investigate and put on hold any further music cuts. We need as many families to show up as possible to show support. The board meeting starts at 7pm. We recommend you show up early!

Location: 3330 Monte Villa Pkwy
Bothell, WA 98021

For more information on how to attend a school board meeting: https://www.nsd.org/our-district/leadership/school-board/attend-a-school-board-meeting

See you there!