The Haines Borough school board voted 5-2 Wednesday to accept the resignation of music teacher Jason Muccino, despite testimony of about 50 students and community members who asked the board to find another way to wring savings from its budget.
Members Lisa Schwartz and Brian Clay were opposed.
As a cost-saving measure, Muccino was not offered a contract for next year.
Petitions to “Save Mr. Muccino” circulated around town and were presented to the board by student Yzella Miramontes.
Fourth grader Ariel Long-Godinez shed tears that Muccino might not be here next year, as she had been looking forward to learning to play drums. Said seventh-grader Trygve Bakke: “Taking away Mr. Muccino would be kind of like heartbreaking for all of us.”
Ann Marie Fossman, an alumna and grandmother of current students, said the plan was “not a step forward in the right direction.” Gen Bell pointed to the irony of a town with the reported highest number of artists per capita in the nation cutting its music program.
Krista Kielsmeier said that she came to meeting, despite not having children, because “the quality of education we provide reflects on all of us as a community.”
Kielsmeier suggested that in the future the board consider public comments prior to cuts. “It’s hard to have a public process, because the public will want to cut administration,” and not art and music, she said.
Schwartz asked, “Is this good for the kids? We know that there has to be budget cuts. We are going to make tough decisions. We need to keep doing what we are doing well. That is what defines us as a school.”
Clay urged audience members to take their concerns up the chain of authority. “There is one way you can fix it. Phone it to your senator… Put a face on what the state is doing wrong with our funding… All they see is the dollar. I recommend that you get those phone numbers and call them, call them a lot and now is the time.”
Superintendent Tony Habra emphasized Muccino’s position would be filled by current staff. “We think we can support this program with strength and talent… We have thought long and hard. This is the most difficult thing administrators have to do. When you hired me, I told you that we would have to make reductions. This is about…what is best for our students and what is fiscally responsible. I would ask the board to trust the administration.”
Schwartz said the public expected “not just a band program, but a good band program… There is going to be scrutiny.”
Member Sara Chapell said testimony showed that the board was “not doing a good enough job” providing a transparent budget process. “Some of this is out of our control, but the way this happened, it shouldn’t happen again.”
After the vote, member Jeanne Kitayama asked administrators to address the subject with students. “It is really hard to have the kids speak and feel like they didn’t make a difference.”
Anne Marie Palmieri agreed but said: “Now that we have accepted the resignation, it is final, so there shouldn’t be false hope, if they go to the legislature and to the borough to get more money… That is not what this is.We are going to have a music program and there is going to be a person in that position and give the person the benefit of the doubt.”
In other news, the board approved $24,000 in fund to refinish the high school gym. Stickler reported that MAP achievement scores for math are “rebounding” due to new curriculum and program introduced over the past year. Habra will present a “state of the district” speech and presentation to the community in April.