publisher’s letter RICK KESSEL
A Pivotal Time
T
he effects of the current economic crisis have been with federal funds is generally highly restricted by
dramatic and deep within all levels of the education federal guidelines, but, there are always loopholes
community and many music teachers are extreme- which allow some of these rules to be skirted.
ly concerned about their jobs and their programs’ The second concern about the education stim-
survival. According to an article in The New York ulus package is the equitable distribution of the
Times, March 21 edition, part of the economic funds between under-funded systems and those
stimulus that is slated to go towards education in which have significant capital resources. “Utah,
many states will filter through to the music and the where a $1.3 billion budget deficit has threatened
arts. A concern though, is that the states and lo- deep school cuts, will get about $655 million in ed-
cal districts are vying to use the stimulus dollars ucation stimulus money, or about $1,250 per stu-
to support a variety of programs and dent, according to the federal De-
have significant leeway in how these partment of Education. Wyoming,
dollars may be used. This presents “Music and arts which has no deficit and has not
a critical time when arts programs programs are cut school budgets in many years,
must again and again rally for the will get about $1,684 per student.”
support of their respective commu- still in a precari- This situation, unfortunately keeps
nities in order to be maintained as ou