Same thing going on in Michigan? The schools seem to think music, art and anything creative should go first. I think better stated, anything that costs money to maintain that is not a money maker. Sports are even falling short here, however, the "good" sports schools are not hurting. There is one huge high school here that is typically nationally ranked in football every year. Most of their home games are played at a college to sellout and overflow crowds, and the typically are no worse than 11-1 and play in the state championship. On the other side of the coin, the high school in my neighborhood, due to extremely low enrollment, last year did not win a game in football, basketball and baseball COMBINED. Every team was winless. Thus they did not sell any tickets beyond parents, and in this neighborhood the fathers are absent on 80% of the homes. That also means that the single mother does not have money to spend to go see her son play football. One game last year they had 48 people in the stands.

Music, since it requires instruments and maintenance, art because it requires supplies... they get the short end of it. The families can not afford art supplies, sax rental.... such a sad economic time in general and this is where it trickles down to.

I once did some volunteer time in an inner city school giving computer classes. One kid was like a sponge as he sat there hanging in EVERY word. Spoke to his teacher and she said the kid only comes to school every other day. During lunch I sat down with him and after some pulling and prodding, he told me that he and his brother share "the school clothes" and they take turns going to school.

(The next day, he and his brother each had 5 new outfits so they could both go to school every day.)

Chess, debate..... those don't have a lot of expense, so they continue. But music and art get cut out..... so sad.