[Editorial]  JPS Needs To Level With Public

October 28, 2009

The Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees made a mistake last week in not renewing the district's music education contract with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. For 42 years, professional musicians with the state's premier orchestra have taught string instruments to elementary students in JPS and performed in concerts and recitals for students across the district. But thanks to a tie vote on renewing the contract at an Oct. 20 board meeting, the program may end.

Parents mobilized to protest the move at an Oct. 23 meeting that was canceled at the last minute. The decision surprised many parents who had already arranged to rent instruments for their children and left them feeling out.

Board member Ivory Phillips voted against the contract. He says that the district must find ways to save money. He is right; the state has ordered the district to cut $6 million from its budget for this school year.

But the parents are right on this one, too. The district's financial situation demands a frank discussion of its priorities, and parents deserve to be part of that discussion. As advocates of the music program point out, numerous studies confirm the positive effects of music education on children's learning. Learning to read and perform music improves students' performance in math and foreign language, not to mention the positive effects of music education on their self-esteem and understanding of culture.

If the board believes that the strings program is not worth its $300,000 cost, it should say so, and offer an explanation to the parents who wonder why the district has not cut athletics or other extracurricular programs.

During lengthy executive sessions in the past few months, board members have discussed Superintendent Lonnie Edwards' performance and his recommendations for various administrative positions. While the board is allowed to discuss sensitive personnel matters in private, the board owes an explanation parents and taxpayers.

Three board members—Jonathan Larkin, Delmer Stamps and Ann Jones—are serving with expired terms. Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. promised to begin the appointment process by mid-November. Citizens will have an opportunity to hear opinions of the board's actions then, but they shouldn't have to wait that long. It's time for the board to open its communications with the public. That means fewer executive sessions, turning over public documents on request and a willingness to be transparent. Jackson voters put trust in JPS by voting for a school bond; now it's time for that board to prove they can be trusted.

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