Shrinking budgets can’t cut into students’ enthusiasm for the arts

By LINDA TRIMBLE, Education writer

DAYTONA BEACH, FL — For Jonathan Wright, singing with the Pine
Ridge High School Men’s Choir is akin to a shot of adrenaline.

“It gets your heart racing,” said the 17-year-old junior.
“You’re stepping out of your box to do something like singing on
stage.”

Jonathan, who joined the Men’s Choir at the Deltona high school
midway through last school year, is among a growing number of
Volusia County students who are enrolling in arts-related
courses.

Enrollment in high school performing and visual arts classes is
up 52 percent from 2006-07, while 41 percent more middle school
students are taking arts courses than they did four years ago.

The trend is more remarkable, said performing arts specialist
Monty Musgrave, because it occurred in the same period Volusia’s
overall school enrollment dropped by more than 6 percent and school
officials cut more than $75 million and 1,500 jobs from the
budget.

Enrollment in the arts has been strong in Flagler County for
years, said Diane Dyer, the district’s director of high school and
virtual instruction. Specific numbers weren’t available, but she
said middle school band programs in particular have grown
recently.