Newton South Parents Make Case To Restore Jazz Combo Class

NEWTON, MA — A group of Newton South High School (NSHS) parents spoke out at Monday’s School Committee meeting in opposition to the sudden shutting down of the school's award winning Jazz Combo.

The residents asked to School Committee to restore music program staffing at NSHS from 2.0 to 2.7 FTE (full time equivalent) and reinstate the Jazz Combo class, which they say was cut on Friday, May 6 with no warning despite high demand from students.

“Dismantling the program to this extent will lead to there being music classes but not a program, and its critical not only for kids who want to do music with their careers, but really for the social and emotional wellbeing of the broad range of kids who study and play music at South,” said NSHS parent Tiziana Dearing.

Dearing brought up the divide in music program staffing between Newton South and Newton North. Newton North which had fewer students enrolled in 2021, approximately 180 compared to Newton South’s 213, but is able to retain a 2.7 FTE.

“The promise at that time was to restore the staffing, but that is now not the plan for next year,” she said. “In addition, within the high school, it is the smallest staffing in the fine arts department.”

Another NSHS parent, Stephanie Weitzman, also spoke out against the staffing cuts and Jazz Combo class in a letter to the School Committee, posted on Village 14 by Jerry Reilly on Tuesday.

“Cutting this Jazz class is telling musicians that they are not wanted at South,” NSHS parent Stephanie Weitzman wrote in a letter to the School Committee. "It is telling the music department to shut down completely."

"Cutting things that help students alleviate stress and move their music careers forward is terrible for the school, the student and Newton,” she continued. "I am heartbroken.

The School Committee has not yet responded to these parents’ concerns.