Cedar Cliff band.jpg

Cedar Cliff Marching Band drummers get ready to take the field before the home game against Hershey in 2013. Cedar Cliff and Red Land's marching bands will combine in a merger opposed by many of the 200 attending the school board meeting. (Mark Pynes | mpynes@pennlive.com)

While merging Red Land and Cedar Cliff high school marching bands

could cause some related band groups to also combine, merging other programs, athletics or even schools isn't on the agenda, district officials say.

The marching band merger, discussed for more than a year, was approved by a 6-2 vote on March 19. It was recommended to help address decline in numbers and skills, and provide a more uniform experience to band students.

Some are still unhappy with the decision, including Cedar Cliff alumna Michelle Dailey, who is gathering signatures on a petition asking the board to postpone the decision. So far it has gathered 191 signatures.

There are no current recommendations to begin looking at merging sports or other activities or schools, said Ryan Argot, district spokesman.

Merging athletics was a hot topic in the district four years ago. Faced with a $3.6 million deficit in 2011-12, the district examined merging athletics in grades 7-12, which was estimated to save $600,000. Staff cuts, a tax increase and higher pay-to-play fees helped reduce the deficit instead.

The West Shore School District marching band merger was approved by a 6-2 vote on March 19. There are no current recommendations to begin looking at merging sports or other activities or schools, said Ryan Argot, district spokesman.

Argot said combining sports teams was discussed during development of a new strategic plan during that period. But there was considerable parent opposition, and the school board decided not to pursue it.

School board President Ronald Candioto Jr. said there also had been some discussion in 2011-12 on merging certain programs, such as Junior ROTC, which also didn't take place.

Realigning schools also had been discussed by a subcommittee while the strategic plan was being updated, Argot said. But it never made it out of committee, and that subcommittee disbanded.

"Neither of those ideas made it into the plan," Argot said.

Board member Frank Kambic, who voted against the band merger March 19, said combining the marching bands had been talked about in 2008, after the groups took a combined trip to China. "The band directors chanced their minds and decided they didn't want to," he said.

Abigail Tierney, who is in her second year on the school board, said the marching band merger differed from the prior athletic merger discussions.

In 2012, Tierney said the discussion was about saving money. "In 2014-15, it's 'How do we offer the best program we can.' "

For 2015-16, West Shore is looking at a proposed 5.72 percent tax increase for Cumberland County and 5.9 percent for York County to help reduce a projected $6.3 million deficit.

But that isn't what prompted the band discussions, which started last year, Tierney said.

"This is being done to make sure we are offering the best experience to all our kids," Tierney said. "This was a unique circumstance brought about by our music educator who said we needed to improve. It is not a precursor to other areas."

Still, she said there could be some "natural consequences" that result from the marching band merger, affecting indoor guard, for example.

Board member Anthony Tezik, who voted against the band merger, also said the district four years ago had been looking for ways to save money, with consolidating sports programs and extracurricular activities discussed as options.

He doesn't feel merging the bands has been fully thought out. "The final expenditure, we have no idea what it's going to be," Tezik said. "I think there are too many unknowns. Plus, we're facing a $6 million deficit in the budget, yet we create a new program. I think that's ludicrous."

"We are doing it because they claim the numbers of musicians are dwindling," Tezik said. "My feeling is we need to fix the program before we venture into anything new."

Parents like Dolly Fratangeli, co-chairwoman of Cedar Cliff Band Boosters, fear other musical programs will be combining as a result of the marching band merger, such as indoor guard and percussion.

"Absolutely, I think it will. If our staff does not return, then we have no one to handle those two parts of this program," she said.

Robert Starrett, Red Land High School band director who was among the district officials proposing the band merger last year, said music departments and band parent groups at the two schools will be meeting to hash out details. While not proposed as part of the merger, he said combining the indoor guard and percussion at the two schools will likely be discussed.

"While this specific vote to merge the marching bands did not include those other things - indoor guard and percussion - suffice it to stay those discussions are natural to have," Starrett said. "But those programs are not going away by any means."

Chris Previc, Cedar Cliff marching band director, said there could be practical reasons for also combining indoor guard. "You want to keep your team together," he said, so marching styles are maintained. "I am willing to repurpose those ensembles so as not to not interfere with the merger," he said.

Throughout the band merger talks, Starrett said he has heard "absolutely no discussion" on merging high schools. "They have been very clear this not a precursor to any other merged activities," he said.

While Kambic also said the district isn't looking at other mergers, music or otherwise, he added, "That is not to say it will never happen. Some day there could be a reason we do have to do it, or it would make sense."

Board member Brian Guistwhite, who also said no other mergers are pending, said, "People just like to start rumors and spread information that is not accurate...This is only the marching band, nothing else. Don't read into it."