Why is marching band so expensive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son is eligible for marching band next year and I got the school cash online email saying fee pay is available. Holy cow its expensive! Over $400!

Does the football team also have to pay $400 for uniforms and participation?

At our non-W, high FARMS High School, it's $600 for cheerleading! And no, football players don't pay that much. I get the feeling that the most loved teams aren't subject to those fees.

The most loved teams have boosters clubs footing the bill.

At our school with the $600 cheer uniforms, the cheerleading team and other non-football teams are required to fundraise for the booster club; so we should get some benefit. The cheerleaders don't even get to keep their uniforms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son is eligible for marching band next year and I got the school cash online email saying fee pay is available. Holy cow its expensive! Over $400!

Does the football team also have to pay $400 for uniforms and participation?

At our non-W, high FARMS High School, it's $600 for cheerleading! And no, football players don't pay that much. I get the feeling that the most loved teams aren't subject to those fees.

The most loved teams have boosters clubs footing the bill.

Soo true. If your kid isn’t on a most loved team at a most loved school, the other sports teams are expensive. Particularly if they compete.

[Anonymous]

Because the Fine Arts budget is small so there is not a lot(or any) extra to cover electives and activities. Go ask the Band/Art/Theatre teachers what their yearly budget is and then ask how much it cost to put together a competition worthy Marching Band or 2 Theatre productions a year, or ensure art students can experience different mediums and prepare portfolios.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because the Fine Arts budget is small so there is not a lot(or any) extra to cover electives and activities. Go ask the Band/Art/Theatre teachers what their yearly budget is and then ask how much it cost to put together a competition worthy Marching Band or 2 Theatre productions a year, or ensure art students can experience different mediums and prepare portfolios.

That's all good and dandy but it also excludes a lot of kids for a variety of reasons. We pay a lot for outside music. I wouldn't pay $400 for the marching band. At some point enough is enough, especially when the band director just does the absolute minimum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son is eligible for marching band next year and I got the school cash online email saying fee pay is available. Holy cow its expensive! Over $400!

Does the football team also have to pay $400 for uniforms and participation?

At our non-W, high FARMS High School, it's $600 for cheerleading! And no, football players don't pay that much. I get the feeling that the most loved teams aren't subject to those fees.

That is absolutely ridiculous. What is the $600 for?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because the Fine Arts budget is small so there is not a lot(or any) extra to cover electives and activities. Go ask the Band/Art/Theatre teachers what their yearly budget is and then ask how much it cost to put together a competition worthy Marching Band or 2 Theatre productions a year, or ensure art students can experience different mediums and prepare portfolios.

That's all good and dandy but it also excludes a lot of kids for a variety of reasons. We pay a lot for outside music. I wouldn't pay $400 for the marching band. At some point enough is enough, especially when the band director just does the absolute minimum.

So it’s okay to pay $150 for football that gets more funds in the athletic budget and in some schools heavy booster club support. But fine arts programs that get much less budget are suppose to do what? Short change the kids interested in those activities. You just said you pay a lot for outside music, maybe marching band is the outside music that some kids want to participate? Further every activity includes a blurb about if the amount is a hardship please reach out to the school. And who said the band director is doing the absolute minimum? Maybe at your school but at a lot of other schools this is not true.

[Anonymous]

Because the MCPS budget does not pay for the things that are required. Parents have to make up the difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because the Fine Arts budget is small so there is not a lot(or any) extra to cover electives and activities. Go ask the Band/Art/Theatre teachers what their yearly budget is and then ask how much it cost to put together a competition worthy Marching Band or 2 Theatre productions a year, or ensure art students can experience different mediums and prepare portfolios.

That's all good and dandy but it also excludes a lot of kids for a variety of reasons. We pay a lot for outside music. I wouldn't pay $400 for the marching band. At some point enough is enough, especially when the band director just does the absolute minimum.

So it’s okay to pay $150 for football that gets more funds in the athletic budget and in some schools heavy booster club support. But fine arts programs that get much less budget are suppose to do what? Short change the kids interested in those activities. You just said you pay a lot for outside music, maybe marching band is the outside music that some kids want to participate? Further every activity includes a blurb about if the amount is a hardship please reach out to the school. And who said the band director is doing the absolute minimum? Maybe at your school but at a lot of other schools this is not true.

Exactly the point. It shouldn't cost $400 for band if $150 is for football when the band is to support football. You are lucky if your band director is great. Ours isn't so we do music outside school. For a little more I'd rather go to a professionally run orchestra.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son is eligible for marching band next year and I got the school cash online email saying fee pay is available. Holy cow its expensive! Over $400!

Does the football team also have to pay $400 for uniforms and participation?

Does the $600 include instruments?
My kids school required students buy instruments for band class, and the rental on these is over $200 a year. Full price purchase is around $500.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son is eligible for marching band next year and I got the school cash online email saying fee pay is available. Holy cow its expensive! Over $400!

Does the football team also have to pay $400 for uniforms and participation?

Does the $600 include instruments?
My kids school required students buy instruments for band class, and the rental on these is over $200 a year. Full price purchase is around $500.

Makes no sense to rent. Mcps does offer some kids instruments but usually low income or ones impossible to bring or have at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son is eligible for marching band next year and I got the school cash online email saying fee pay is available. Holy cow its expensive! Over $400!

Does the football team also have to pay $400 for uniforms and participation?

At our non-W, high FARMS High School, it's $600 for cheerleading! And no, football players don't pay that much. I get the feeling that the most loved teams aren't subject to those fees.

The most loved teams have boosters clubs footing the bill.

Our marching band fees were somewhere in between the two extremes, but bands can have booster clubs too. Ours make money by parents volunteering to run the concession stand at football games, selling t-shirts, doing partner nights with local restaurants, where they donate X percent of the proceeds for everyone who eats there that night and sapphires the band’s name, etc.

I don’t find the fees excessive. It’s a LOT of hours beginning in summer through the whole fall semester. There are a lot of expenses. They feed the kids regularly (usually just pizza or sandwiches, but it adds up) on the many very long rehearsal/competition days.

There are, of course, scholarships available for families who can’t afford the fees (not just those who don’t want to pay them) and the directors make that clear to kids at the beginning of the season — just like there are a limited number of school-owned instruments for families who can’t afford to buy/rent one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son is eligible for marching band next year and I got the school cash online email saying fee pay is available. Holy cow its expensive! Over $400!

Does the football team also have to pay $400 for uniforms and participation?

At our non-W, high FARMS High School, it's $600 for cheerleading! And no, football players don't pay that much. I get the feeling that the most loved teams aren't subject to those fees.

The most loved teams have boosters clubs footing the bill.

Our marching band fees were somewhere in between the two extremes, but bands can have booster clubs too. Ours make money by parents volunteering to run the concession stand at football games, selling t-shirts, doing partner nights with local restaurants, where they donate X percent of the proceeds for everyone who eats there that night and sapphires the band’s name, etc.

I don’t find the fees excessive. It’s a LOT of hours beginning in summer through the whole fall semester. There are a lot of expenses. They feed the kids regularly (usually just pizza or sandwiches, but it adds up) on the many very long rehearsal/competition days.

There are, of course, scholarships available for families who can’t afford the fees (not just those who don’t want to pay them) and the directors make that clear to kids at the beginning of the season — just like there are a limited number of school-owned instruments for families who can’t afford to buy/rent one.

I have no idea how “mentions” turns into “sapphires.” Ugh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most schools have one, maybe two sports that actually generate revenue: football and/or boys’ basketball. The other sports/teams generally cost more money than they make. At some schools, the football program helps fund their athletics programs, so everyone benefits.

The football team should pay for marching band as they are there to support the team.

HAHAHA.No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son is eligible for marching band next year and I got the school cash online email saying fee pay is available. Holy cow its expensive! Over $400!

Does the football team also have to pay $400 for uniforms and participation?

At our non-W, high FARMS High School, it's $600 for cheerleading! And no, football players don't pay that much. I get the feeling that the most loved teams aren't subject to those fees.

The most loved teams have boosters clubs footing the bill.

Our marching band fees were somewhere in between the two extremes, but bands can have booster clubs too. Ours make money by parents volunteering to run the concession stand at football games, selling t-shirts, doing partner nights with local restaurants, where they donate X percent of the proceeds for everyone who eats there that night and sapphires the band’s name, etc.

I don’t find the fees excessive. It’s a LOT of hours beginning in summer through the whole fall semester. There are a lot of expenses. They feed the kids regularly (usually just pizza or sandwiches, but it adds up) on the many very long rehearsal/competition days.

There are, of course, scholarships available for families who can’t afford the fees (not just those who don’t want to pay them) and the directors make that clear to kids at the beginning of the season — just like there are a limited number of school-owned instruments for families who can’t afford to buy/rent one.

MCPS Foundation has instruments available: https://www.mcpsfoundation.org/pages/our-programs/help-me-make-music-

It's very excessive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most schools have one, maybe two sports that actually generate revenue: football and/or boys’ basketball. The other sports/teams generally cost more money than they make. At some schools, the football program helps fund their athletics programs, so everyone benefits.

The football team should pay for marching band as they are there to support the team.

HAHAHA.No.

Brilliant idea.