Band camp still planned for schools
Jackson County’s two high schools will still have band camp this summer, according to one band director. Miles Adams, band director at Jackson County Comprehensive High School, said the annual two-week band camp is still scheduled for the weeks of July 20 and July 27 at the school.
East Jackson Comprehensive High School is also slated to hold its band camp this summer.
In an article about the Jackson County Board of Education trimming employee and program costs, it was stated that there would be no camp — saving $20,000.
Instead, the school board opted only to cut the cost of paying extra instructors for the drum line and color guard — not the entire band camp, Adams said.
“There’s no way we could do it in the fall without those two weeks,” he said on Friday.
Both high school band programs will now look at other funding options to support the band camps, Adams said.
In an article about the Jackson County Board of Education trimming employee and program costs, it was stated that there would be no camp — saving $20,000.
Instead, the school board opted only to cut the cost of paying extra instructors for the drum line and color guard — not the entire band camp, Adams said.
“There’s no way we could do it in the fall without those two weeks,” he said on Friday.
Both high school band programs will now look at other funding options to support the band camps, Adams said.
The fact is the band selectively benefited from $20,000 in tax payer dollars to pay for band camp. Now they will have to raise it themselves just like all of the athletic and student organizations at JCCHS, not to mention every other Georgia public high school.
The band will continue to benefit from two full-time co-directors with 12-month contracts, spending of tax revenue not duplicated at any other school yet taboo to discuss at JCCHS, until recently.
Comparisons to athletic camps is not relevant, though they are often targets in these discussions. Athletic-related camps, including football, have been self-funded through participant fund raising for years. Golf Tournaments, Penny Drives, Discount Cards, yard sales, Sales of Spirit Wear and Calendars and Bar B Que plates and Donuts. Ring a bell?
And while we are talking about money, do you know who paid for the new band uniforms for both JCCHS and EJCHS? Thru multiple years the JC band parents socked away funds to make sure that both schools were attired with new uniforms.....no taxpayer money at all was used to underwrite the $100,000+ expenditure.