BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP
Staff Writer
NORTH BRUNSWICK — A misunderstanding over money turned into a marching band pep rally at the township’s Board of Education meeting, Tuesday night.
North Brunswick Township High School (NBTHS) marching band members and their parents attended the meeting in droves after school officials seemingly took funding raised during a band competition held at the high school last week.
The Band Parents Association (BPA), of North Brunswick, is a nonprofit organization that has helped the band raise and maintain funding for the last 20 years, according to BPA Executive Board Member Jane Miller.
Members of the BPA disagreed with having to hand over proceeds from selling items out of the Snack Shack on Saturday.
On Aug. 20, new NBTHS Principal Frank Ingargiola instituted a policy requiring any organization using the shack to turn any money raised there over to him. Under the new policy, Ingargiola keeps the funding in the school safe until turning it over to the
“The band is an exception under this new policy, in that they receive 100 percent of the money that they raise during an event,” Rimmer said.
Board President Fred Manning said, “Prior to this new policy we had no accounting of the money and how and why it was dispensed the way it was at the end of the year.”
Because officials decided to take control over the funding, Manning said the board has more accountability.
Because the BPA has nonprofit status from the state, members said the group already has to abide by strict accounting guidelines.
Taking all that the BPA members said into consideration, Ingargiola agreed to review his new policy.
“In the end, we’re all in agreement that it’s not my mine, the school’s, or the parents’ money, it’s the kids’ money,” Ingargiola said. “By this time next year, the band may not have to turn over the money.”
Although everyone could not come to a firm agreement on the policy’s effectiveness, all agreed on lauding the band. The marching band grew from 15 students in 2000 to its current membership of 96, according to Miller. Rimmer acknowledged band director James Egan and Williams with the group’s continuing success.
Manning said, “I’ve been going to football games for the last seven years and I have seen a huge difference in both the levels of participation and expertise in the band.”
Williams said she wished more people would attend band competitions.
On Saturday, the marching band hosted a competition at the high school during which teams from New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania competed. The NBTHS marching band ranked second after Tottenville, N.Y., in Group Four of the competition.
Kelly Schnier, 16, a clarinetist, said the band’s vitality is important to her.
“They’re like the brothers and sisters my parents never had,” Schnier said.
Drum major Jeff Drew, 17, said he played band all four years of high school and has seen the group grow to an outstanding number.
“We really owe it all to Linwood Middle School music teacher Chris English, who really got us all wanting to join the band when we got to the high school,” Drew said.
BPA member Michael Rafferty, whose son Robert, 17, is a drum major, said, “Because their interest in music starts at a young age, we, the board, keep budgeting for new uniforms and instruments and we want them to continue to support all of the music programs in the schools.”
Rafferty said Egan teaches the marching, orchestral and instrumental bands at the high school, as well as an advanced placement music.
Karen Hirschoff instructs the NBTHS choir, but her time is split between the high school and the middle school, Rafferty said. The board cut two full-time music instructor positions last year.
“We’re here tonight to give the board a message that parents see that our children’s interest in music keeps growing despite the cuts and that we’re going to make sure they make the necessary changes,” Rafferty said.
His son said, “Although we don’t have it yet, we’re growing and improving and people are ultimately going to give us complete and total respect.”
The NBTHS marching band will perform the “Mask of Zorro” at the high school’s homecoming game, which starts at noon Oct. 23.