There’s a running joke my dad used to make to describe Benicia schools to non-Benicians, and it went a little something like, “At Benicia Middle/High School, the band kids make fun of the football players!”
My father, the master of hyperbolic comic relief, may have been stretching the truth (I have yet to witness a group of tuba players shoving a quarterback into a locker), but his quips did convey the caliber of Benicia schools’ performing arts departments.
I still remember the feeling of awe that washed over me when I first entered the middle school band room, lined from wall to wall with trophies of every size, shape and color. I remember going to my first improv show in seventh grade, aching with laughter at the hilarious games and even more hilarious players. I remember going to my first dance show as a freshman, and I even remember an entire act involving chairs, hats and more synchronized coordination than that of an Olympic figure skating duo.
So even with no personal participation in the performing arts (save for a cameo in one dance show), I was fully aware of how exceptional the department is, and how hard-working and dedicated its members are. That’s why I was hardly surprised when our high school won, on top of the prestigious Gold Ribbon Award, an additional accolade confirming its “Exemplary Program in Arts Education.” I was surprised, however, with how our school chose to thank our arts department for these bragging rights.
The irony of the school board deciding to cut electives and not fund the arts department in the same time span it received recognition for said department is not lost on anyone. Many people were angry, and rightfully so, but as is usually the case with public outrage– especially in these days of social media savvy citizens–, some information was misconstrued. So before I joined the angry, pitchfork-wielding villagers, I reached out to Christine Mani, Benicia High School’s former head of the arts department from 1999 to 2016, to get the facts straight.
To begin with, there’s no proposed budget to “cut” the arts. According to Mani, “the monetary issue that is being discussed is the bond measure.”
The “bond measure” refers to a nearly $50 million bond that resulted from Measure S passing in Benicia. Mani stated that the arts department had been working with Measure S to make sure that they were covered, especially with regards to repairs for the theatre building.
Unfortunately, the department was told two weeks ago that zero dollars would be going towards the arts. I asked Mani, who influenced where the money was allocated, and was told that while “a task force combined of students and parents provide input,” the decision was also influenced by the principal, superintendent and the bond manager.
The problem, Mani pointed out, lies in the turnover rate of the administrative positions at Benicia High. She described a cyclical process of fighting for the arts with a superintended or principal, only to have them change jobs and get replaced with a new person with no knowledge of the years of fighting involved. Mani noted that, “in my 18 years involved in the Benicia arts department, going through countless bond measures, not a cent was ever put into the Performing Arts Building.”
She mentioned that the money came from drama, dance and band through fundraising– not the district– when they needed something in the Performing Arts Building, and that at one point, they were even told they had to pay for their own lightbulbs.
While the decision to ignore the needs of the arts department with the Measure S bond was enough to provoke a public outcry, to add insult to injury, a proposal to reduce the amount of electives students can take was also recently approved.
The problem with the elective reduction is twofold. The first mistake, as Superintendent Dr. Charles Young himself admitted on Monday’s informational meeting, was that the board was not transparent enough about the proposal. When I spoke with her, Mani agreed that the plan was kept “very quiet.” Nathan Day, the current drama director at BHS, revealed that the consent vote on the proposal was held a mere two weeks after its first reading at the March 16 school board meeting, grouped together with other items and with no discussion held after the first meeting. This “accidental on purpose” secrecy was the first tip-off that something may be off.
The second, more worrisome aspect of the proposal lies in its intentions. The board, including our principal and superintendent, has maintained that the goal of the elective reduction is to better prepare students for college. The change in course requirements does better align with the requirements for CSUs/UCs, as by cutting out those pesky elective credits, they can cram in more STEM classes, more foreign language requirements, more of what colleges are reportedly looking for. But chopping down 75 elective credits to 35 (a 55 percent reduction) takes away the freedom of choice. As Day so aptly noted at Monday’s meeting, requiring an elective takes away its very meaning. Now, students will have to make sacrifices. They will have to give up that second year of drama to take that extra year of math. And taking four years of band? Good luck with that, unless you want four years of Early Bird too (and we all know how healthy it is for teens to disrupt their natural sleep cycle).
At Monday’s meeting, Dr. Young approached the situation with numbers. He referenced data that showed that for the past 10 years, only 48 percent of BHS seniors graduate “CSU/UC ready.” This may be true, but you could easily counter that this lack of readiness has more to do with the quality of instruction than the quantity of credits. Furthermore, it implies that the main goal of the proposal is to prepare students for a CSU or UC, when in reality, many choose not to go down that path. It encourages the stigma that the only socially acceptable goal after graduating high school is immediately transitioning to a four year college. As Mani pointed out, “the problem isn’t cutting arts, it’s forcing students to take these other classes, even when that’s not the path that they’re going.” It also ignores the fact that some students may actually want to study, or even make a living, out of something involving the arts.
Perhaps the biggest irony of all is that, in many cases, it’s the electives that get kids into the four-year schools. Playing in band for eight years, choreographing a dance show, and captaining an improv team all shows drive, commitment, and the exact kind of leadership that the competitive UCs and CSUs are looking for. It’s the “extras” that the board is minimizing that are what set students apart and make them unique.
On a more humane level, many students need the arts. For many, the arts aren’t just an elective. They’re a creative outlet, a passion, maybe even something that gets them out of bed in the morning. As Mani stated, “On an emotional and personal level, students need the arts.” Whether it’s music or writing or comedy, almost everyone connects with the arts on some level. It’s the threat to this universal connection that is the most upsetting of it all, and the reason so many in the community have responded to these decisions with outrage.
But it is this very public response that gives me hope. I have witnessed the community come together for something it believes in, and it’s remarkable. I encourage everyone that has an opinion on this issue to make their voice heard, whether it be writing to the school board or attending the next board meeting. Furthermore, I challenge every one of you to stand up for something you believe in, if not for yourself, than for future generations. Change is possible, and even in a small suburbia like Benicia, it is powerful.

Jasmine Weis is a senior at Benicia High School.

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