Baldwin High School is no stranger to arts education. With a hugely successful band, a popular Art Club, and a student choir with many alumni pursuing college degrees in the field of music, we have been lucky to have such a diverse program for the arts. However, not all schools have been as lucky.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, music programs are often one of the first departments to be downsized or cut entirely when schools experience budget cuts, despite all of the research that shows these programs improve students’ overall academic performance.

Arts programs do not only help increase the performance of already diligent students. The National School Boards Association has concluded that, “curricular and extracurricular arts studies and activities help keep high-risk dropout students stay in school.”

If art and music educations have so many positive affects of students, why are many at risk of being cut? These programs are not usually picked out specifically to lose funding, but when schools cannot find a place to make savings in core class programs, sports and other extracurriculars, the importance of arts education is forgotten for the sake of cutting the budget.

I have seen firsthand the influence arts education can have in a school. Anyone in the community who has attended a band or choir concert, visited the high school’s gallery at the Lumberyard Arts Center, or gone to see the annual fall musical, can clearly see the arts’ ability to bring students together.

I believe art and music programs in schools should be valued at the same level as other courses such as English and Science. While it might be difficult, I believe fighting for these arts programs is an effort that will heavily pay off in students’ creativity, academic performance, and overall enjoyment in their education. There is not much to be done about budget shrinkings in schools, however there are many alternatives to costly expenses such as visual art supplies and necessary items for vocal music, such as microphones, supplies for musicals, etc. For example, schools could hold recycling drives to collect supplies for art classes, and have fundraising concerts to raise money for the music department.

It is easy to forget about this issue when BHS has been so fortunate to have flourishing music and art programs. However, before you sweep this problem under the rug, ask yourself these two questions: What would our school look like without a choir, a band, a music, a play, and visual arts? Is that a school you would want to attend?