Newton Elementary Strings Program Saved, FY24 School Budget Revised

NEWTON, MA – Newton Public Schools’ elementary strings and orchestra programs will remain in the city’s schools, after the School Committee voted on Thursday to restore funding for the programs through a revised FY24 budget.

The revised budget was passed by the Newton School Committee on April 27 in an 8-1 vote, with the restoration of funds for the fourth grade string classes and orchestra programs at all 15 of the city’s elementary schools effective July 1, 2023.

According to a news release from Save Newton Strings, the continuation of these programs ensures that:

• Every fourth and fifth grade student will be able to receive a musical education regardless of their family’s ability to access instruments or pay for private lessons.
• The benefits of studying music at earlier ages will continue to accrue to Newton students, including participation in a wonderful community, the chance to grow socially and cognitively in this context, and the opportunity to experience beauty and joy through music.
• The middle- and high-school level music programs will continue to be filled with students who received a foundation in music in the earlier grades, ensuring the excellence of these ensembles for years to come.

The effort to save the strings program was spearheaded by Save Newton Strings, a campaign made up of parents, guardians, students, alumni, and community members, who started a petition calling on School Committee members and elected officials to reconsider the proposed budget.

In addition to the petition, Newton elementary students, parents, and teachers spoke out against the proposed cuts to the string program and held a Stringfest event on April 24, where hundreds of fourth and fifth graders gathered in front of the district’s administration building begging the School Committee not to stop the music programs.

Betty Wang, a parent of children at Newton Public schools involved in the strings program, she is happy for the students who participated in Stringfest and worked to advocate for the cause to save Newton strings.

"They really paved the path for future Newton students to have the opportunity to explore the joy of playing stringed instruments and to play collectively in orchestra, a place where music is created and friendships are formed," Wang said.

The strings program was not the only program restored in the revised budget for 2024, which totals $268,655,413.

"Disability Inclusion" funding, secondary special education teachers, and class sizes in Newton elementary and middle schools were also among the restored matters.

Funding for the revisions comes from several sources, including reducing Medicare Part B
reimbursements by 50%, reducing charter maintenance funding, using an additional carryforward from FY23, a reduction in elementary per pupil back to FY23 levels, and a decrease in educator professional development across the board.

In total, the restored funding totaled $1,473,200.

“The items that we have restored funding for in priority list number one are the most critical pieces for us to move forward, for the good of all of our students,” Vice Chair and Ward 7 School Committee member Kathy Shields said in the meeting on Thursday.