Stuff and Staff:
In Santa Monica, we are fortunate to have a school district that supports the arts. At the high school level, SMMUSD provides funding for two full time Band directors, partial funding for Color Guard instruction, and a small stipend for Instructional Aide in Band classrooms for a few hours per week.
The Samohi Band Parents Association (BPA) seeks donations and raises funds to supplement what the district provides, so that the program can continue to provide the highest quality music education to our students.
You may have heard the expression “Stuff vs. Staff” in relation to fundraising at SMMUSD schools.* For the Samohi Band program, the Barents Association (BPA) pays for the following:
Stuff
- Music folders – Some classes got new folders this year!
- Music stands
- Sheet music royalty/rental fees
- Photocopies (the BPA paid 1/3 the cost to purchase a photocopier used by the Samohi Band, Choir and Orchestra directors)
- Band Room lockers and related supplies
- New instrument purchases
- School-owned instrument repairs and supplies
- Concert programs
- Student awards
- Concert, Marching, and Jazz festival entry fees
- Marching Band & Guard uniforms and supplies
and Staff
- Full-time percussion instructor for all 5 Concert Band classes
- Jazz Band II instructor
- Concert Band festival adjudicators/clinicians
- Partial funding for the Color Guard Caption Head & Color Guard Tech
- Marching Band Percussion Caption Head & Percussion Tech
- Marching Band Visual Caption Head & 2 Visual Techs
- Miscellaneous Concert and Jazz Band Clinicians
On average, the BPA spends $250 per pupil per year on the Concert Band program, and $750 per pupil per year on students enrolled in Marching Band or Color Guard. We hope that you will consider contributing to our Direct Donation campaign.
Thank you for supporting the Samohi Bands!
*RE: “Stuff and Staff” in SMMUSD: In general, the PTAs raise funds for necessary “stuff” such as supplies, books and equipment at school sites, while your donations to the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation fund additional staff and programs at each school. For the Samohi Band program, the BPA pays both.