PIE to continue art, music with community help
Budget cuts in Lee County and state-wide have necessitated severe cutbacks in many areas including the school systems throughout Florida. Not immune to these cuts are the elementary schools in Lee County.
Earlier this spring it was announced that art and music programs will no longer be offered at the county’s elementary schools, however, with some creative budgeting and innovative programs, the schools will continue to offer these programs during the 2009-10 school year. One solution to be utilized by Pine Island Elementary School will be with the assistance of the community.
“Prior to two weeks ago, the district was no longer able to fund art or music programs at the elementary school level because of the lack of funding from the state. Then recently we learned that we will get 50 percent of our past funding to offer limited programs.” said PIE Principal Rob Mazzoli. “Currently we offer the students music and art three times a week throughout the school year. With the limited funding, however, we would only be offer music three times a week and art twice a week for half of the year.
“Pine Island Elementary School will also be sharing an art teacher as well as a music teacher with two other schools in the district,” he continued. “The answer to this will be to do some creative thinking when it comes to how we are going to provide these classes for the students. It’s not that we can’t teach these subjects, it’s that we don’t have the funding for them and it will require us to look for other ways to deliver art and music.”
Mazzoli said his plan is to tap into the resources found here within the Pine Island community and has already set the wheels in motion.
“Last week I met with the Matlacha Mariners and the Matlacha Hookers and asked them to work with us to find innovative ways to provide music and art,” he said. “Since then I have met with Debbie Cundall from the Hookers and artist Diane Maher. In just a short brainstorming session we were able to come up with several ideas. Our plan is that we will enlist the talents of islanders who can come into the school and provide demonstrations, workshops and performances to supplement the traditional art and music lessons. I also have been approached by one of my kindergarten students fathers who is in a group called Soapbox. The group is busy learning children’s songs and are planning a performance as well as a question-and-answer session for the students.”
According to Cundall, resources are available for supplies and she has already approached several island artists to help with the program.
“We have a wealth of artists on the island and it is our hope that they will help us to work out a program so that the kids can enjoy art throughout the school year,” said Cundall. “It is our thought that perhaps we can get one artist a month to go to the school to provide a workshop over a three-day period. That way all of the students will be able to participate. Last year we had potter Chuck Koucky came to the school to do a workshop and it worked out beautifully.”
Mazzoli said that even with the worst news, he was never discouraged and always optimistic because of continued support from the island community.
“Our school is like no other in the county. We are very fortunate that the island community views us as their school and are always willing to come to our aid,” Mazzoli said. “This will be a challenge, but at the same time it will be an opportunity to take something traditional and expand it by following a different path to a new perspective. The process will be exciting and it is a way for us to bond with the community and band together the talent within the community.”
Mazzoli said he will begin meeting with members of the community as well as his staff to develop a comprehensive plan to ensure that quality art and music programs will continue to be offered to his students.