Greater Victoria school district considers $250K cut to music programming

The district previously reduced music funding in 2022, which led to protests.

The Greater Victoria School District (SD61) is proposing several cuts as it stares down a $1.6 million budget deficit.

The cuts include proposed funding reductions to technology, career programming, early childhood educators, and — most notably for some parents and educators — middle school music.

“Why does music always seem to be the area that gets picked on?” said Trevor Barry, parent of a Grade 7 concert and jazz band student.

“When I tried to explain it to him, he just didn’t understand how that could happen midway through his middle school journey.”

SD61 is considering pulling roughly $250,000 from the middle school music program’s $1.2 million budget.

The school board’s sole trustee, Sherri Bell, said finding reductions is heartbreaking.

“This is a very difficult decision,” Bell told CTV News. “One way or another, we have to balance the budget and there isn’t a lot of flexibility left in the system.”

Bell was appointed to the role in February 2025 after B.C.’s education minister fired the previous board over its ban of police in schools. A new board will be selected in the general election on Oct. 17.

“There are only so many places that … we can reduce or look at reducing — areas that are not connected to a collective agreement or an obligation we have with a contract,” Bell said.

In a budget presentation on March 9, SD61 said strings and concert band will be protected. Music teacher Chris Leeson said that means choir and jazz band are at risk.

“These programs, especially in middle school, are a place where the kids really start to look outside socially and really try to define themselves,” said Leeson, who is president of the Greater Victoria Music Educators Association.

Decreased music funding sparked protests in 2022. At that time, Leeson said school staff responded to the cut by reducing the number of music classes offered each week.

“Some people have suggested that music could be delivered to students through clubs,” he said. “What that really amounts to is teachers volunteering their time.”

Why not admin?

The Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association called out the proposed budget on Monday, questioning why administrative costs aren’t being targeted.

“Budgets are about choices, and right now the higher-ups at SD61 are choosing to put themselves and their officemates before the kids and families they were hired to serve,” GVTA President Carolyn Howe said in a statement.

When it comes to administration, Bell said there isn’t much to chip away at.

“Those areas have been cut in the past, which is why we are the second lowest in the province as far as spending with district administration,” she said.

She cited various reasons for the deficit, including declining enrolment, reduced interest rates, and unfunded inflationary costs.

In a statement, the education ministry said most of its $10 billion budget goes to school district operations, which is $3 billion more than districts received in 2017.

Members of the public can provide feedback at a meeting at 6:30 p.m. on March 30 at the SJ Willis Education Centre.

The budget will be finalized at a board meeting on April 8.