The Lebanon Express Blog

I turned to Showtime this weekend and found a documentary called “Poliwood,” a 2009 film by Barry Levinson, following celebrities to the 2008 Democratic and Republican National Conventions.

I tuned in midstream, when celebrities were trying to impress governors and senators with the value of arts, music and P.E. in public schools.

This I found both amusing and frustrating.

Amusing because I don’t believe any district cuts these types of programs because they are music haters.

From my understanding, a teacher’s salary and benefits costs a district about $60,000. When funding is tied to scores, and tests are on math, writing and reading, if it comes to cutting a core subject or an elective, schools will most likely cut an elective.

Frustrating because it would seem these celebrities are speaking to the wrong people. After sitting through just one budget session with Lebanon Community School District budget committee, it doesn’t seem as if senators or governors have any say in school budgets. At most, governors could find a way to budget more money for education, but it’s individual boards who actually decide where the money goes.

I decided well-meaning celebs should have a bit of instruction on how to make their dreams a reality by putting their money where their mouths are.

Just making a donation to education, or to a local district, would not guarantee the preservation of music, arts and P.E. programs.

After some consideration, I decided the best way would be a grant program.

Districts who wanted to take advantage of more art, music and P.E. in their schools could apply for a grant from the Hollywood Foundation (just an idea for the name of a celebrity-funded grant program).

In these economic times especially, when school budgets continue to suffer, and the future of Oregon’s school budget is especially rocky, I wish wealthy celebs would stop criticizing and start doing something. It’s easy to talk, it’s harder to do.

In an ideal world, districts would provide every opportunity for students. But LCSD seems to be making the best with what they’ve got. And that’s thanks to the hard work of everyone in the district from classified to licensed, from administrators to board members, parents, community and businesses.

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