Oh the irony.

Remember this story from almost a year ago?

Andrew Travers launched a Kickstarter program for a couple reasons. One, to buy five new electric instruments for his students; a two violins, a viola and a cello.

“Half the kids can be on the electric instruments in the corner, and the electrics don’t make a lot of audible sound unless you’ve got the headphones on,” Robert Travers explained. “And then the rest of the class can operate at the same time. And we can start rotation kids in and out so that, basically, two different lessons can go on simultaneously.”

Fast forward a year, and magically the SFSD has all kinds of money for music;

The Sioux Falls School District will spend $35,000 to lease the city’s entertainment center for a December performance with rock violinist Mark Wood, an original member of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

In March, school board members approved a more than $60,000 contract with Wood to spend time working with Sioux Falls students, 3,000 of whom will perform with Wood during the concert.

On Monday, school board members approved an additional $8,000 for Wood plus the cost of leasing the Premier Center. They also approved a $25,000 contract for “lights and sound.”

The Sioux Falls School District will spend $35,000 to lease the city’s entertainment center for a December performance with rock violinist Mark Wood, an original member of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

In March, school board members approved a more than $60,000 contract with Wood to spend time working with Sioux Falls students, 3,000 of whom will perform with Wood during the concert.

On Monday, school board members approved an additional $8,000 for Wood plus the cost of leasing the Premier Center. They also approved a $25,000 contract for “lights and sound.”

While I think this is a great opportunity for students, I sometimes question the spending priorities, especially when a music teacher has to ask for private donations for a couple of instruments or the fact that several education assistants with the district make a whopping $11.79 an hour.

8 Thoughts on “While McGovern students have to do an online bake sale to fund instruments, the school district blows their wad at the Denny

  1. Deep throat on October 25, 2016 at 2:20 am said:

    Its my understanding that they intend to break even if not make money. Tickets are being sold for $20 with over 3,000 kids part of the performance that s a substantial built-in audience.

  2. DT- Totally understand, but the SFSD should have hired a promoter to take that risk instead of the tax payers.

  3. The D@ily Spin on October 25, 2016 at 8:51 am said:

    Obviously, there’s money now because Homan bought horses. There’s new leadership on the board and it shows. Any focus on education is a good thing.

  4. Cameraman Bruce just called me as he was driving by McGovern school, he said they now have a barb wired fence near the school. I guess they are preparing the students for their future after they graduate 🙁

  5. Great idea. Get kind do interested in music and not have enough money for the instruments.

  6. anominous on October 25, 2016 at 7:20 pm said:

    Honestly, someone could find some electric instruments for much cheaper than the price of that kickstarter, if they knew where to look. ATMO

  7. at whittier, the chorus the instructor sent home a note saying that attendance is mandatory. this event is taking place on a saturday night, not during the school week, when kids have other outside activities they are involved in. also, who came up with the idea of paying someone $60,000 for maybe a weeks worth of work, and then giving him $8000 more?

  8. scott, these are the kind of rubber stamp morons we get on the school board when no one bothers to show up and vote. It irks me that I pay over $100 a month in property taxes and now an extra $.05 on food so the idiot school board can blow my money like this instead of actually spending it on education! What a concept! Yet 75% of the voters show up to the polls to vote for president though your vote doesn’t mean squat in SD.

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