Director of Fine Arts John Alstrin presented data on the district’s fine arts programs to the board of trustees April 15. The data provided shows secondary student involvement has grown to 13,997 students in 2023-24—a 183% increase since the 2016-17 school year.
“We know it’s not just about numbers and data and quantities but quality programming, instruction, student learning and outcomes,” Alstrin said. “That’s what defines our commitment to excellence.”The details
PISD's fine arts program serves 100% of elementary school students, Alstrin said.
The district has 7,718 middle school students involved in fine arts programs, including art, band, theater, choir and dance, in the 2023-24 school year. The district’s middle school orchestra program has 829 students involved, which is up 118% in the last three years, Alstrin said.
The main reason for an increase in middle school students involved in fine arts programs comes from adding a second elective option for sixth and seventh grade students during the last four school years, Alstrin said.
“It all goes back to opportunities for kids,” he said.
Additional staff positions will be added next school year at the middle school level, including an assistant orchestra director and an assistant choir director.
There are 3,878 high school students involved in fine arts, Alstrin said. This includes students in art, band, choir, orchestra, theater and additional music electives. The high school’s dance and drill programs have 404 students involved this school year, which has increased 56% over the last three years, Alstrin said.
What’s next
In the next five years, PISD will be opening its fifth high school and ninth middle school.
As the district grows, Alstrin said there are three goals for the fine arts program:
- See overall growth and long-term commitments from fine arts programs.
- Plug more students in while maintaining standards.
- Create more opportunities for students as the district increases its number of campuses.
Program expansions are underway as Suzuki Strings will be opening a third program at Jackson Elementary School in the 2024-25 school year, Alstrin said. PISD high schools will also have a dedicated teacher at each campus for additional music electives, such as music production, history of popular music and AP Music Theory.
“Amazing facilities, support from the board [and] amazing leadership helps us to continue to attract and retain the best teachers,” Alstrin said. “This helps sustain and expand opportunities, student engagement, culture and new levels of excellence.”
