To the Editor:

The following is an open letter to the Potsdam Central School District Board of Education:

I am concerned about the music position slated to be cut from this Potsdam’s school budget. I am a Potsdam alumna, and am now a homeowner and a taxpayer in the Potsdam Central School District. I also have a child in kindergarten attending Lawrence Avenue Elementary.

I was very disappointed to hear about the several “No” votes at last night’s board meeting when reinstatement of the full-time music position was on the table for your consideration.

I was extremely active in the music department as a student at PCS, and due to the high quality of the staff and the music program I even chose to make music my occupation.

I have been teaching K-12 Vocal Music for the last 4 years, and still consider the music staff at PCS my “go to” mentors for all things music. These women are leaders in their field, and not just locally.

Although I could go on and on about why I feel a thorough education in music is beneficial to all students in any part of the country/world, or how music is an amazingly large part of every culture in the world, I mostly want to express my disappointment because many of you do not seem to see how vital the music is to our own community.

As home to one of the leading music education colleges in the country, I would think that music would be seen as more of a priority for our students.

The PCS music department has experienced too many cuts in the last few years. Being in education myself, I understand the very difficult position the board members at Potsdam have been put in through unfair funding, rising costs, and many other issues.

I understand that something has to give. But I do not believe that the music department deserves to continually cut. The department will not be able to provide the quality education that it has throughout the years to so many deserving students...many of whom have even chosen to make music their life’s work.

I hope that you will think carefully about any further decisions concerning the music department. And to those board members that voted “Yes” to reinstatement of this position, thanks for your support.

Laura (Fitzsimons) Gilbert, Potsdam