Funds approved for more Fayette County band instruments

Middle and high school bands in Fayette County will get some extra oomph for their oom-pah-pah in the coming year.

The Board of Education has approved allocating $50,000 from ESPLOST funds to buy large instruments and equipment for the music programs. The 5-0 decision at the Dec. 16 regular meeting will allow the purchase of more tubas, string basses, percussion equipment “and other instruments that may be too expensive for students to purchase individually, or that can be used by multiple students.” More money for fine arts programs was a designated part of the most recent ESPLOST.

The planned distribution will be $6,000 per high school and $4,000 per middle school, although Director of Secondary Education Rae Presley-King will work with individual band directors to determine needs based on each school’s current instrument inventory.