Budget Committee member faces the music

YORK - From elementary school children to York High School seniors, the town's young musicians packed the Budget Committee meeting on March 18 to let those who have spoken against their program know, "We are not what you think we are."

What they are, the students said either by standing at the podium to address the Budget Committee and the public or by holding up signs, includes All-State trumpet players and singers, National Honor Society members, a soprano with a 3.8 grade point average, tri-season athletes, college-bound seniors, violin-playing fourth-graders, York Middle School Jazz Band members and soon-to-be York High School graduates preparing to enter the military.

What they have in common is experience in music programs in the York Schools, and a commitment to address comments made by Budget Committee member Steve Samborski on March 6 that, "I see no evidence to make me not believe that the music programs and the band programs, as fine as they are, are somewhat of a catch basin for kids who cannot qualify to get into the more academic programs."

Samborski, who voted in his preference vote against a proposal to build music instructional space at York High School, also stated that inclusion in music programs should be merit-based and "not everyone in the school should deserve to take music programs."

Those comments created a maelstrom in and around York High School, coming as dozens of students were fighting through illness and injury to perform their winter musical production of "Gypsy," while also, as they described it, jockeying for space for band and chorus rehearsals in a facility that does not have the storage room and rehearsal space needed for the programs.

Before the Budget Committee arrived for its March 18 meeting, the York Public Library was already packed with students, parents and community members carrying signs and waiting for a chance to address the committee about Samborski's comments and to urge the board to vote again on the project.

School Committee Chairwoman Marilyn Zotos addressed the crowd that filled the lower lobby, waiting to enter the meeting room.

"I'm so proud to see that you're here," she said to the students in the crowd. "It's so important to care about your town government."

Zotos also reminded the crowd that the vast majority of the Budget Committee had supported the music instructional space addition and the school budget as a whole.

Once the meeting was called to order, the Budget Committee voted unanimously to extend its public comment period in an effort to allow all those who wished to speak to the board a chance to address the issue at hand.

Kelsey Ray, a member of Chamber Singers and a York High School musical participant, fresh from her leading role as Mama Rose in "Gypsy" complete with an ankle brace from a fall off the York High School stage in what she and her fellow cast and crew members described as a substandard and dangerous facility, held up a sign that read "Was Mozart Dumb?" while Kerrin Buckley, also a Chamber Singers member and star of the recent musical production, held one that read, "There are 300 students in our catch basin."

As the public comment began, many of those who spoke - ranging from York Middle School students in chorus and band to York High School students who have performed at Carnegie Hall as part of the Chamber Singers and members of the band preparing for a New York festival - urged Samborski to apologize for his comments.

York High School student Hannah Schriefer, who has attended multiple Budget Committee meetings since Samborski made his infamous music comment, told him, "I'm still waiting for an apology."

York Middle School band member Charlie O'Shaughnessy was waiting for the same thing.

"Why can't you just give us an apology?" he asked.

One parent, a member of the medical profession, noted that if physicians were to speak of patients in the manner Samborski used to describe the town's music students, they could expect to be censured.

"I don't think it really matters what kinds of kids are in the music programs," noted Julie Eneman, a mother of four elementary school students. "We need to support all kids."

Many pointed to the correlation between music programs and academic achievement, and to the confidence found through participating in music and the performing arts.

"Coming up and speaking in front of you today is a skill that was developed inside the chorus room and the York High School musicals," said Kara Smith. "This skill right here will take me farther than any other."

When it came to addressing the arts wing proposal itself, the students detailed the packed conditions for the band, with students almost unable to move while playing their instruments. They spoke of the chorus fighting the acoustics in the auditorium because the ensemble is too big to fit on the stage, and instead must sit in the audience seats where each part is unable to hear their sound. And, although a new auditorium is not part of the building proposal, the students spoke of the dangers there.

As Robert Cook, a chorus member who works on the technical theatre component of the school's shows put it, "I honestly fear for my life sometimes when I'm working these lights."

And, he said, if the instructional space component is not passed by the voters in May he is afraid for the future of the music programs at the school.

"We don't have rehearsal space as it is," said Katie Horigan of the vocal music programs. "We can't hear ourselves."

Katie Sevigny of the high school's band program pointed out there is no room for the percussion section in the band under the current conditions, while Buckley spoke of the quality of York High School teachers Rob Westerberg and Dan Sovetsky in leading the vocal and instrumental music programs, stating they deserve the space they need to teach.

"We need this new music wing because we sit in that room, not hearing ourselves for four months," said Haley Westman, describing the experience of standing in St. Christopher's Church for a concert and finally being able to hear the group as a whole. "Let's hear ourselves from the get-go."

As Ray put it, in order for the Chamber Singers to be able to hear their sound, "We practice in the bathrooms sometimes - and I'm not joking."

When the public session reached its end, Budget Committee member Greg Filias moved for a new preference vote.

Rick Boardman, who had voted against the music space in the first vote, told the crowd that while he does support and appreciate the music program, the question for him is one of dollars and the impact on taxes. While the music program has tripled in size in the past six years, Boardman said he would be voting against the plan in his preference vote because the overall school enrollment is dropping.

The project is proposed at $2.3 million, with $800,000 coming from the School Department's existing fund balance account and $1.5 million to be bonded. Board of Selectmen Vice Chairman David Marshall noted the impact on the average property tax bill in York, if the project is approved, is estimated at $13 per year.

For local resident Wayne Martin, the project is well worth the cost.

"My dollar is going to get a phenomenal return on its investment," he said.

Samborski ultimately changed his vote to an abstention.

"I commend all the students for coming here and giving me hell," he said, echoing the sentiment students had shared about music being a "universal communicator" and stating, "I'm sure these programs help to make you better students."

Samborski said he is torn, however, because he must also think about retirees in town and their ability to pay their taxes.

"That's the constituency I represent," he said, adding he has heard from several residents concerned about the project's impact on their taxes. "I need to put that out there for your people to understand. There is another group of people in York that can't afford new projects."

However, he said, "You have been equally persuasive in citing the reasons" for the need.

When the new preference vote was called, Budget Committee Chairman Mike Quinn was joined by Greg Filias, Dave Lincoln, Lin Napier and Charlie Steedman in supporting the arts wing while Boardman voted against it and Samborski abstained.

Following the meeting, several students said that Samborki's abstention was better than a negative vote, but added that he did not seem to really understand the need for an apology.

"I feel sorry for him," said Sarah Demos. "I think he missed the point."

As for supporting the proposed addition itself, "It's not even for us," said Buckley, explaining that, as a senior, she will never use those new music rooms.

Buckley said she came to speak at the meeting after performing with eight local middle and elementary school students who were part of the York High School musical earlier this month.

"I don't want them to have to work with what we've had to deal with," she said.

Also after the meeting, Marshall, who was in attendance along with Selectwoman Kinley Gregg, said he was very impressed with the respectful, eloquent comments of York's students standing before one of the town's senior boards and the television audience at home.

"If they were not in the music program, they would not have been able to do this," Marshall said.

Local resident and parent Joanne Muckenhoupt echoed that sentiment, stating she was impressed with the way the students conducted themselves throughout the meeting.

With the average tax impact of the project estimated at $13 per year, she said, "For that $13, this is what we'll be answering to."

Zotos, too, praised the students.

"I think the taxpayers of York saw the results of their investment in education here tonight," she said.

Members of the Budget Committee had a similar perspective.

"I'd like to salute all the students who spoke tonight," said Steedman. "I think you made your case on the quality of your program... on your need for the music space... I hope and expect with that vote coming in May that it will be overwhelmingly approved."

Filias agreed, telling the students their efforts have not gone unnoticed, and Napier told the crowd - to thunderous applause - that she, too, was a York High School graduate, a French Club president, an honor student and a member of chorus.

"I'm glad that so many people came to support the music program," Lincoln said, adding that he hopes people, in the future, will attend meetings even earlier in the process to share their concerns with the committee.

Quinn told the students that they "painted pictures for us" of the reality of their situation, and praised their behavior and willingness to come before the board.

Looking to the future, Steedman urged the students to talk with their parents about serving on the Budget Committee and other town boards, pointing out that when he, Boardman and Samborski were elected last May they all ran unopposed as no one else was willing to serve.

"Maybe you can help us do a better job," he said.

One seat will be available on the Budget Committee this May, as Napier is not running for reelection. Nomination papers for the various town boards, including the Budget Committee, are available at Town Hall and are due back by April 2 for inclusion in the May election. For more information, call the Town Clerk's Office at 363-1003.