South West Illinois News

The Columbia Unit School District 4 Board of Education unanimously approved two new high school music courses at its December meeting.

According to Superintendent Christopher Grode, the first class is Beginner's Band, and is designed for students who are either starting music later in their school career, or want to get back into it after exiting earlier on. He said this came at the recommendation of staff members at the school, as it can be hard to jump back into band.

“Our faculty and staff try to meet the needs of our students and they bring things to us that they feel could meet those needs,” Grode said.

The Beginner’s Band class is a “singleton,” which is a class where all the students will need to attend one section. He said it would run with 10 or more students, and if only eight enrolled they would not have enough for a class. 

One concern by the board was that adding this to the schedule could be difficult and Grode said whenever a schedule is done, the “singletons” need to be taken care of. He said whenever one is added there will be a conflict, and this is no different than usual.

“Computer software can only do so much when it comes to scheduling high school, but it is - it's an ordeal,” said Grode. “It’s a pain.”

The administration recommended that it be passed and the yes vote was unanimous without discussion.

The second class is Vocal Jazz Ensemble, which would be another “singleton” that needs 10 students or more to run. Grode said this is a competition and a good spot for those who participate to highlight their skills. 

Neither class requires additional faculty. 

The board unanimously approved the course without discussion.