“CSArts-SGV Needs Your Help”. That’s the message sent via email to CSArts families by Dr. Endelman. It contained an even more concerning message that administrators would have to furlough the first week of conservatory because donations are down. This year, the donations and pledges from families/sponsors totaled a little more than half the 2.8 million dollars needed to fund conservatory programs each year. He explained that while tax-payer dollars pay for the academic day, it is up to the school to privately fundraise the annual budget for each conservatory. This budget includes money for equipment and supplies, facilities, performance opportunities, guest artist master teachers, field trips, and pays the salaries for conservatory teachers and directors.
With this news in mind, school administration decided to cut the first week of conservatory instructional time after winter break. While this will allow the school to save $60,000 in expenses, it also means that conservatory staff will lose a week’s worth of salary. This decision will not affect pre-scheduled rehearsals. The Pick your Passion project, which was announced by CSArts’ Foundations Team just a day after the first announcements of cutbacks, will aim to “bridge the gap in conservatory budgets and support essential needs and experiences for our deserving students.” said Dr. Endelman in another statement sent out to CSArts-SGV families.
While nothing has been released about what this means for each conservatory, the hope is to raise enough funds to prevent any further changes to the conservatory schedule for this school year.
The Truth of Thanksgiving