Fruitvale salvages some of its music budget
BY JEFF NACHTIGAL, Californian staff writer jnachtigal@bakersfield.com In the end, Fruitvale School District won't have to cut its entire music education program, a possibility that caused much consternation at public board meetings over the past two months.
Fruitvale will maintain its instrumental and chorus programs in grades 4 to 8, according to Superintendent Carl Olsen.
However, the district will not continue its once-a-week classroom music program offered in grades 1 to 4.
The district has been able to re-hire six of the 14 teachers -- including one music teacher and two PE teachers -- issued layoff notices earlier this year.
Teacher transfers and resignations created the openings in the personnel budget.
Current pre-enrollment numbers, coupled with first-week enrollment, may enable the district to rehire one or two more teachers, Olsen said.
The district also rehired three instructional aides, a custodian and a computer technician.
The budget for additional classroom positions opened in part when currently employed aides opted out of a week of paid time, Olsen said.
Elementary PE and a limited amount of junior high counseling will also remain for the year ahead.
"We've still got a few we'd like to get back, and we'll keep working on it and see what happens," said Olsen, who noted it was nice to get nearly a dozen people back so far.
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