Editor:

At Fairhope High School, they lost their chorus group—cut-backs, you know. Spanish Fort lost out on their drama class. Daphne will probably lose their arts and music courses. (Let’s hope not, though time will tell.) The mission to save the course is to ask for community help.

At a time when everyone has their own problems in business, there were many people who thought this ridiculous: The Eastern Shore is known for its art and music and yet does not allow it to be taught in the high schools.

I know we will forever have a marching band and football games but these other classes are just as important. These classes help keep children out of trouble and score higher in math and science—in a sense building their self-esteem and their minds.

There is a place for marching bands and football games, but there is a place for these other arts courses, too. They encourage children to build on their futures, to make a higher score and go to community college, learn a trade or on to the universities. And during a recession, these children are our next leaders, business owners and the adults who will run our communities. How can we keep this from them?

I know money has to be cut back, even schools closed. That is just a mistake. But to take away the curriculum also, would be the greatest mistake of all. As parents and leaders of our communities, we should not let the children suffer from their dreams they have strived for.

We could always cut back in the school board’s salaries, if we were passionate enough to endow in the children. If we have to save money, let us not keep it from the education our children deserve.

Thank you for every business who gave their time and money to fundraisers to keep these programs going.

Let us hope it was enough to keep the schools’ classes going.

Rose Murphy

Fairhope