The Haines Borough School District won’t renew the contract of Jason Muccino, its only full-time music teacher.
The district plans to cover music instruction next year with a teacher already working for the district, said district superintendent Tony Habra.
Muccino, who teaches grades 5-12 full-time, disclosed his dismissal on Facebook this week. He said in an interview that he was notified about six weeks ago by principal Rene Martin that he would be let go at the school year’s end due to budget constraints.
Superintendent Habra said Wednesday he was confident the district could fill the music position with existing staff. The job will be advertised internally, and if no one comes forward, it will be assigned to a staffer, he said.
“You have to be a certified teacher and you have to be able to teach the class,” Habra said. “I would want somebody with a music background.”
The move will save the district money by offering some other classes every other year, or by increasing class size, Habra said. “We’re going to have to require more work from folks. That’s not cool, but that’s the way it is.”
At its current rate of deficit spending, the district will deplete savings about one year from now. It plans to eliminate a principal position in the coming year following the resignation of assistant principal Cheryl Stickler. The school board this week also offered an early retirement incentive to eight longtime teachers.
In his second year with the district, Muccino is a 20-year music teacher who most recently worked in Egypt. He holds teaching certificates in New Jersey and Alaska and earns $58,200 per year. He’s popular with students and parents for his work, including grooming an enthusiastic group of middle school musicians.
Parent Kelly Williamson said Muccino’s departure will be “a really great loss.” Her two middle school children have grown to love music because of Muccino, she said. “It’s just heartbreaking as a mom to see one of your kids’ favorite teachers have to move on because of budget cuts.”
Williamson said one of the reasons her family moved to Haines from Florida seven years ago was for her children to get an “old-school” education that included music. Public schools there no longer offer music, she said.
“We’ve come from a system that has been impacted from the exact same challenge,” Williamson said.
She said she hoped Muccino’s replacement would be enthusiastic and have a love for music. “I hope that we’re able as a community to do what’s best for the program and the kids. I understand the need to do more with less, but it’s also hard.”
Muccino said he was disappointed in the decision, but he understands the district’s tight finances.
“I just know the money is not going to be there and the situation is not going to change,” Muccino said. “I feel bad for the community because music is big here.” Hiring a less qualified teacher “is not going to cut it,” he said.
Muccino is more than a year away from earning tenure, a rank that would make dismissing him more difficult. Also, in the wake of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the district is not compelled to hire a music teacher demonstrated to be “highly qualified” in the subject.
District officials for years have cited the school’s art and music programs as objects of pride that make the school competitive in attracting families to enroll students here.
school board chair Anne Marie Palmieri this week said she appreciates music, noting that there are home-schooled students who participate only in the district’s music program.
“We value music and art. We want those programs to continue. The question is how to continue to offer them with reduced funding and enrollment. We’re looking for creative solutions. We’re looking at who can do what and what other talents do we have internally to be able to continue to offer them,” Palmieri said.
Asked what made him confident that the music program’s quality wouldn’t slip, Habra said: “I have a strong administrative team. I’ll be overseeing my administrative team and my administrative team will be overseeing whoever we put in there.”
Lilly Boron, president of the Haines teachers’ union, declined comment on Muccino’s departure.
The next school board meeting will be held 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 1 at the school library. Habra said at that meeting he would offer contracts to physical education teacher Greg Brittenham and director of student services Kim Cunningham.
Habra said he was not planning more cuts to administration. “With the resignation of (principal) Cheryl (Stickler), the current number of students justifies the administrative level. We’ve already gone down one.”
The district also has not renewed the contract of Janice Byerlee, who has led the district’s Title 1 program. Habra said he would not comment on Byerlee’s position.