Update, July 9, 2024:

The good news is that we're doing well! As of now, nothing has been removed from the Schofield Band Room. All instruments and cubbies remain in the room. We are also very grateful to have strong advocates on the school board, including Dr. Bradley. 

The next school board meeting is Tuesday, July 12, at 6:00 PM. We believe that the future of the band room will be discussed at this meeting and would love to see you there! Feel free to represent with a band shirt, Aiken High or Schofield shirt, or by wearing blue or gray. 

Thank you all for your help so far. Together we can make sure that these students don't lose a beautiful facility specially made for their needs.

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Update, June 11, 2024:

We are grateful to have been heard during the public participation portion of tonight's board meeting. The board is now looking into the issue, and the band room will be an agenda item at the next meeting on July 16, 2024 at 6:00 PM. Thank you for the continued support of the Bands of Schofield Middle School.

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Schofield Middle School feeds Aiken High School and serves Title I and at-risk students. In the past years, the school has gotten rid of chorus and strings, despite both classes being offered at the high school level and despite the high school opening a brand new Performing Arts Center this year. This makes band the last remaining music class offered by the school. Schofield has also not placed other classes on this wing of the school, making band the only class in that area of the building. The district has identified this, correctly, as a safety concern. Rather than moving other core classes into the rooms on this wing or hiring a strings/chorus teacher, the district is considering relocating the band. The fine arts wing is now being considered to house district office personnel. The abandonment of the fine arts wing in this manner also seems to indicate that the district has no intention of reinstating strings or chorus in this community. 

Schofield's band room is large and a perfect space for creating music. The acoustics, storage, security, and side rooms were all built with the students and band program in mind. The room that the district is suggesting the band move to was originally built as a woodshop classroom before being repurposed into a computer lab. There are multiple doors that directly access the outside where all bus riders and other students come into or leave school, creating the strong possibility for damaged or missing equipment. There is zero storage for the sizable instrument inventory and music library. There is no soundproofing or insulation, which will not only lead to hearing damage or loss for students and the director, but also distractions for other students in classes on the hallway. 

The Aiken County School Board's next meeting is Tuesday, June 16th, at 6:00 PM. The signatures on this petition represent students, parents, educators, and community members who do not want to see a program potentially removed from their ideal classroom into an environment that puts the students and director in danger.