Students, teachers and parents urge board to pause proposed split‑ensemble schedule

Students, teachers and parents urged the Delaware Academy Central School District at Delhi board on June 22 to reconsider a proposed scheduling change that would split the high‑school music ensembles into two separate sections and limit full‑ensemble rehearsals.

“Asa Oxley, president of the high school student senate, told the board the change would make it harder for students to function as a cohesive unit and would turn rehearsal time into sessions ‘to learn how to play together as opposed to just working through the finer details that make the music so special.’”

Jackie Gibson, orchestra director at Delaware Academy, said ensemble development ‘‘does not happen quickly. It happens through many hours of rehearsal time together,’’ and warned that splitting groups so they only merge shortly before performances would reduce musical growth and peer mentoring. Music teacher Amy Linder described rebuilding the program after pandemic restrictions and credited consistency of full rehearsals for recent gains, including performing a NISMA level four piece and record enrollment in concert band.

Students and parents presented petitions and personal accounts: a graduating student said the ensemble community was central to their school experience, and student petition organizer Max Williams reported gathering about 70 signatures opposing the split. Student senate officers, including Kalani Clapper and Evelyn Ainsworth, urged the board to preserve instructional time and seek collaborative alternatives with administration and staff.

Administration response: Superintendent Mr. Schultz acknowledged the complexity of building schedules and told attendees he had spoken with the staff member involved and that the district had decided to "put this on pause" until after July 1 so staff could focus on end‑of‑year activities and then review the proposal with stakeholders.

What the board did: No formal vote on the schedule change was taken at the meeting. Board members expressed appreciation for the turnout and asked staff to review the proposal in consultation with teachers, students and counselors before any final decision.

Why it matters: Board members and music educators said reduced unified rehearsal time could affect competitive preparation (county and state-level opportunities mentioned) and risk teacher retention in a small rural district where ensemble experience is a key attraction for students and families.