JCPS parents, students and teachers sound alarm about changes to music education

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Jefferson County Public schools said Monday evening that plans to restructure music education staffing were placed on hold.

It followed harsh criticism online after a JCPS post on Facebook laid out the district's intention to expand music at the elementary and middle school levels.

"In the past, some middle and high schools did not have the opportunity to offer orchestra. With this new plan, every middle and high school will have the opportunity to provide orchestra for their students," the post stated. "We’re also making sure that all elementary students have consistent, age-appropriate instrumental music instruction by adding more teaching positions. Previously, there were multiple elementary schools without consistent access to music instruction."

The changes were slated to begin with the 2025-26 school year. Students, parents and even some educators sounded alarms concerned the plan would force some teachers out of their current schools.

"We first learned about it last week at the end of our concert," Eastern High School student Hunter Wells said in an interview with WDRB. "Our director notified everyone that he will not be returning next year due to the overstaffing issue."

Overstaffing is when a teacher is notified they will not be returning to their current role at the same school in the upcoming school year. It is common for these notices to go out each spring as principals set their budgets based on enrollments and work with site based decision making councils to determine course offerings for the coming year.

JCPS Spokesperson Carolyn Callahan confirmed the band director at Eastern was bumped from his position by someone with more seniority. Overstaffing and bumping go hand-in-hand, and that's the heart of the community's concern.

The Jefferson County Teachers Association union said teachers were not briefed on the music education changes. They're finding out by being overstaffed—meaning they will have a job in the district next year, but not the same one or at the same location.

"The decision or a change of this size and scale should be inclusive and collaborative with all stakeholders, including the teachers," JCTA President Maddie Shepard said. "The programs that are positioned to experience change are largely band and orchestra."

JCPS has general music educators, choral educators, band and orchestra teachers, with some specializing in classes like guitar or jazz. The variety of roles makes staffing all schools a giant puzzle, as many teachers bounce between campuses during the week.

"I don't think people are understanding the time and effort it actually takes to run a band program, the sacrifice the director is going to make for them," Hunter's father Jason Wells said. "I've seen band trips where they leave at 6am and don't return until midnight."

Online, reactions to the restructuring are harsh. Shepard said while the music staff restructuring is on pause, JCTA is meeting with the district's administrators to collaborate on the best way to implement the plan.

"I haven't heard from a single colleague that is optimistic about this," Music teacher Bailey Wise wrote in response to the JCPS post. "No one knows what is actually happening or where we will end up. There are teachers that have been in their positions for 15 years who have found out their position will be gone or given to someone else next school year."

Hunter Wells helped launched an online petition in support of his band director and is trying to build a coalition of students from all impacted schools to take their concerns to a future board meeting.

"The Eastern band can't afford to lose another director especially a director like this one," Wells said. "We've had two directors in the last two years and this one is setting us on the right track. We've really improved under his leadership."

Callahan said in the end JCPS expects to have more music educators, but couldn't guarantee all current programs at schools in place now, such as choir, would return next year.

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