Staff cuts hit Baldwin bands - al.com

Staff cuts hit Baldwin bands - al.com: "Several rounds of staffing cuts have taken a heavy toll on Baldwin County school band programs, with directors and assistants in many schools among those laid off, education officials said.

Nontenured teachers whose contracts were not renewed last spring included band instructors at middle and high schools in Elberta, Foley, Summerdale, Fairhope and Bay Minette, said Vicky Cook, Baldwin County fine arts supervisor.

'We've taken quite a hit this year, a huge hit,' Cook said. 'Many of our middle school band directors were not tenured, and consequently, other middle school directors are having to do double duty or the high school directors or assistants are having to go to the middle schools part of the day just to keep things going.'"