UPDATE: Mount Diablo Unified To Cut School Music Classes, Librarians

CONCORD (KPIX 5) -- The Mount Diablo Unified School District voted Wednesday evening on a controversial plan to cut programs like elementary school music classes and librarians for middle and high schools. It's all in an effort to save money and balance the budget.

The vote came hours after parents and teachers held a rally before the board meeting asking members to save the programs. Hundreds of people gathered at Monte Gardens Elementary in Concord before marching over to district headquarters.

In a report presented to the board earlier this month, the district said it was operating at a deficit of about $20 million per school year, partly due to declining enrollment.

The district's cuts for next school year would include eliminating music programs for 4th grade, eliminating Diablo Day Program – an alternative school for high-risk kids, and eliminating librarians from middle and high school libraries.

Ten-year-old Avery Erilick has spent two years learning to play the clarinet. She said cutting 4th grade music would be devastating.

"I think that would ruin a lot of people's lives because, like, some people don't know what they would do if they didn't have music in their lives," she said.

"Music gives people a way to speak in which words fail, if that makes sense," said Concord High School band member Angel Cardenes

Officials say eliminating 4th grade music would save more than $500,000 each year. But Northgate High music student Tatiana Avdienko wrote a thoughtful response about the benefits of music programs, saying they create long-lasting friendships and "improve abstract thinking, necessary for learning math and science."

She got back a snarky reply from Board President Debra Mason, who asked, "Don't you have school today?"

"I was very surprised. This is a prominent member of the board -- it's the board president -- and I felt dismissed by her response," said Tatiana. "It indicated to me that they were not taking this issue seriously at all."

Martin Lejano is leading the charge to preserve 4th grade music. The Concord High Band teacher says it is at that early age that kids develop an interest in music and actually learn to play an instrument. He argues elementary music teachers are the unsung heroes here.

"Elementary instrumental teachers!" he said. "They know how to play every single instrument and they know how to start from scratch and build your foundations. So that when a kid goes to middle school, when they go to high school, then they can just play music."

Lejano said the plan would shortchange 5th graders as well, as six teachers would have to service 29 schools. He thinks music has been targeted simply because it's been targeted in the past.

Elementary school music was cut back in 2010 and 2011, but it was restored in 2015. Another attempt to eliminate it was made in 2020.

Lejano said he wishes the board could understand how important music programs are in setting kids on the right path, and considers it to be as important as math and English.

"Absolutely," he said. "If you care about English and math, then you will put an instrument in kids' hands."

John Ramos and Katie Nielsen contributed to this report.