BARRHEAD/WESTLOCK – Pembina Hills School Division trustees passed a motion at their June 21 meeting to amend the student fees rates annex to eliminate instrument rental fees following a presentation from a parent-led group that supports the Barrhead Composite High School (BCHS) band program with fundraising.
Janeen Millar and Marg Sapkos of the Barrhead Band Boosters Association showed up in-person to request the removal of instrument rental fees, though trustees had also received a letter from association president Sharon Foster calling on trustees to do the same.
The instrument rental fees for Grade 6 and 7 students had been left up to individual schools, but were $94.50 for Grade 8-12 students across the division with the exception of percussion instruments, who were charged a lower fee of $66.50. There was also a family fee of $121 in the instance of families with multiple band students.
Secretary-treasurer Heather Nanninga explained the fees had been part of the rates annex for basically forever, "so it kind of just rolled forward” from year to year.
Millar and Sapkos explained the booster association assists the band program by making instrument purchases, which means those costs are not borne by the schools.
Unfortunately, since the pandemic, they said there has been a decrease in band program enrolment due to fewer opportunities to perform and an increase in safety protocols.
“We did have kids leave the program, even established musicians,” Millar said.
As a result, BCHS recently informed the association that the 2023-2024 band program will be reduced from playing together every day to every other day due to the drop.
The association was also informed by BCHS administration that the band program is currently the only school program that requires fees to be paid; while other programs like construction may have costs associated with them, the students don't have to pay fees.
The association believes that by eliminating the instrument rental fees, that would allow families who are struggling financially to once again enroll in the program.
“We want the chance to rebuild. We want the chance to have this program be what it has been in the past and what it has been in the future,” Millar said.
Pembina Hills board chair Judy Lefebvre informed Millar and Sapkos that trustees had already been considering the removal of instrument rental fees, but their plea might be a deciding factor in doing so.
Trustee Maureen Schnirer thanked Sapkos and Millar for their passion in advocating for their children, but asked if they collaborated with other music programs in Pembina Hills.
Millar said there are events such as Music Monday and PowerBand where music programs from various schools come together in either Barrhead or Westlock. They also perform at other schools within the division.
However, the Barrhead group is the only band booster association to the best of their knowledge.
On a related note, Aspen View Public Schools does not charge a division-wide instrument rental fee, as communications officer Ross Hunter confirmed that three of their schools include a band fee of no more than $40 on their fee schedule. (Schools can charge less than that if costs are lower or if a band program does not occur at all.)
Other changes
It should be noted that the elimination of instrumental rental fees was not the only change made to the rates annex, as the fee for adult students taking courses at schools within Pembina Hills was increased from $192.49 per credit to $204.04.
Nanninga explained that students are funded up until the age of 19, so the division must charge the small handful of adult students taking courses at local schools a fee in order to recoup their costs.
The suite of fees charged to Vista Virtual School students is also remaining the same within the rates annex.
Nanninga noted these fees do not technically have to be approved by the board, but the division likes to include them in the rates annex so they’re more visible.
