Parent urges board to reclassify marching band as co‑curricular, create dedicated funding

At the Sept. 25 Dixon County School Board meeting, a parent identified in the record as Miss Daisy urged trustees to formally reclassify marching band as a co‑curricular program and to create a dedicated district budget line so the program does not rely on booster fundraising. "Right now, our children who are in the band program are carrying a burden that they should never have to carry," Miss Daisy told the board. She said parents and boosters have raised more than $60,000 to support the program and that band funds are being combined with athletics money, leaving the band with little to no district support. The speaker cited state education law and State Board rules as the legal basis for band instruction being part of curriculum rather than an extracurricular. She asked the board to take three actions: reclassify marching band as co‑curricular, establish a dedicated budget line for the band separate from athletics and the arts department, and guarantee equal access for all schools regardless of families' ability to pay. Board members listened during the public comment period; no board action or vote on the band's classification or budget was recorded at the meeting.