Save The Music

Our Save The Music page provides actions you can take to advocate for strong music programs in the Edmonds School District! As we learn about potential cuts, we will update this page. You can view our blog posts below to learn about where we’ve come from and how to get involved.

1. Write and voice your support for 5th & 6th grade Band and Orchestra, in addition to music at all schools, to the Edmonds School District school board.
2. Show up and speak at school board meetings.
3. Get to know and write the state legislators and ask them to fully fund special education at the district. You this letter template as a starting point.
4. Write your school principal to voice your support for music.

In addition…

1. Share the importance of music programs with friends, family, coworkers through word-of-mouth, social channels. It’s important to share your perspective.
2. Stay informed about the school budget process.
3. Follow our Facebook page and sign up for our mailing list to stay up-to-date.
4. Follow the Edmonds-Woodway High School Music Boosters Take Action page.

Here are materials from the April 17 Save The Music Community Meeting:

• Presentation
• Recording

The Edmonds School District Foundation shared information about the Arts Endowment Fund. You can view the letter shared by Deb Brandi, Executive Director.

Here’s what we know.

DISTRICT LEVEL: Edmonds School District Administration is proposing the following cuts:

• 5th and 6th grade band and orchestra, OR
• 5th grade band and orchestra only

Per data provided by Edmonds School District, in the 2023-2024 school year,

• 86% or 1,339 5th grade students and 64% or 979 6th grade students participate in band or orchestra. 
• Elementary band and orchestra numbers growing BACK to or even better than Pre-COVID number

SCHOOL BUILDING LEVEL: Based on requests from the Edmonds School District Administration to eliminate a specific number of classes, each middle and high school principal identified classes, which in some cases, included eliminating music classes. We will update this table as we learn more.

SCHOOL	24-25 PROPOSED CUTS	MORE INFORMATION
Meadowdale High School	Jazz Band (1 class is total program) Guitar Floating .2 ensemble to be cut	More Information
Lynnwood High School	1 music class (.1)
Mountlake Terrace High School	No proposed music cuts at this time.
Edmonds-Woodway High School	Jazz 2
Brier Terrace Middle School	No proposed music cuts at this time.
Madrona K-8	Jazz 1 &2 (One class, split into 2 sections. 0.2 total FTE) MS Concert Band MS Orchestra
Maplewood Parent Cooperative	No proposed music cuts at this time.
College Place Middle School	Jazz Band Concert Band (reduce one class and combine 7th & 8th grade) One other class
Alderwood Middle School	Jazz Band – 1 semester
Meadowdale Middle School	Jazz Band

If these cuts go through, the impacts to our nationally recognized music program will be felt for years.

In September 2023, after spending countless hours in spring 2023 to keep music classes, the Jazz Ensemble 2, Percussion Ensemble, and Choir class were cut from the Mountlake Terrace High School Music Program. We no longer have choir classes. We have one dedicated jazz class. In addition, the one of two drama classes were cut. You can read more about district-wide cuts to music programs. Below are the music classes cuts at each middle and high school in Edmonds School District.

SCHOOL	23-24 MUSIC CLASSES CUT
Meadowdale High School	Concert Orchestra 1 semester of Beginning Choir 1 semester of Guitar Class Percussion Ensemble
Lynnwood High School	Jazz Band 2 Percussion class
Mountlake Terrace High School	Jazz Band 2 Percussion Ensemble Choir (only choir class available)
Edmonds-Woodway High School	Orchestra Class Choir Jazz 2 – 1 semester
Brier Terrace Middle School	None
Madrona K-8	Choir class
Maplewood Parent Cooperative	None
College Place Middle School	None
Alderwood Middle School	None
Meadowdale Middle School	Jazz choir (club) 7th and 8th grade choirs combined into one choir

Mountlake Terrace High School Jazz 1 participated in the 27th Annual Starbucks’ Hot Java Cool Jazz held at the Paramount Theatre on March 29, 2024. Here is one of the videos created for the concert with student and band director testimonies on the power of music and why all of us need to preserve it on our schools.

We’ve kept a reoccurring blog about music cuts since April 2023. Review these posts to understand the issues. Subscribe to our newsletter and/or follow us on social to stay up-to-date.

• KING5, March 19, 2024 – Edmonds School Board must make $10 million in cuts to 2024-2025 budget
• MLTNews, April 20, 2023 – Passion spills into the parking lot as Edmonds School Board discusses proposed budget cuts
• My Northwest, April 19, 2023 – Stakeholders upset about $15m budget cuts at Edmonds schools
• KIRO, April 17, 2023 – Edmonds School Board to address $15M in cuts that would end some music, art classes