CHANUTE — After building a stellar band program at Chanute’s middle school and high school, retiring band director Jan Rogers is distraught USD 413 administrators currently have no plans to replace her.
According to the Chanute Tribune, school administrators will place the program’s leadership solely on co-director Mary Wagoner’s shoulders, with help from vocal instructor Rebecca Lowder.
Speaking at the March 7 board of directors meeting, Rogers accused school administrators of not appreciating the band’s success. For the last three years, it has received a 1-rating, the highest possible score awarded by the Kansas State High School Association’s Large Group contests.
“You really don’t know what you have,” Rogers said.
“I guess what it really comes down to is this — do you want a top notch band program or not?” Rogers said. “Do you want to continue to have a band that the school and community can be proud of? Four years ago you did.”
Growth in the program led to the hiring of co-director Waggoner three years ago.
Waggoner also protested administrators’ decision.
“I was recruited by 413 under the pretense that this was and would continue to be a two-person job,” she said, adding that she left a successful band program in Salina for her current role. “Cutting our staff may not destroy the program overnight, but it will certainly cripple it.”
School administrators have said a $900,000 budget shortfall is forcing them to make such cuts. In later remarks, board member Ross Hendrickson said the decision to not fill Rogers’s position may not be permanent.
Later that evening, board members voted 7-0 to fund a girls soccer program to begin the 2022-2023 school year with an expected start-up cost of $20,000.
