Will the music continue to play in Nebo schools?

SPANISH FORK — Like VH-1 — the music-video channel known for its star-studded concerts to raise money for music education — a bunch of Utah Valley parents are trying to save the music in neighborhood schools.

Those parents have asked the Nebo School District to take special care of the sixth-grade music program, which is in jeopardy because of school shuffling that is expected to happen in a few years.

The south Utah County district plans to eliminate by 2008 its middle schools, which serve the district's sixth- and seventh-grade students. Sixth-graders would return to elementary schools and seventh-graders will join existing junior high schools.

Nebo school chiefs say the elimination of middle schools will save money and make room in schools for students. Nebo, which serves students who live in cities from Springville to Salem, has been identified as one of the fastest growing districts in Utah.

Nebo's middle schools offer band, orchestra and choir. Parents are concerned that when sixth-grade classes return to elementary schools, music education opportunities will shrink.

"Any of you who have music in your house know the value," parent Roger Singleton told Nebo's Board of Education during a meeting this week.

Singleton asked the school board to look at music education in other places in Utah for examples of music programs for sixth-graders. "You don't need to reinvent the wheel," he said.

Parent Su Tullis said that music students often are too busy to get into trouble.

"They really are the ones who keep our communities safe," she said.

The school board has charged a committee to look at sixth-grade music programs. Tullis hopes the committee doesn't examine whether a program is possible — but works to make it possible.

"Don't just say, 'How's it going?' " Tullis told the school board. "Just mandate it."

The parents have formed a group called the Nebo Music Alliance. Tullis said she has spent hours on the phone talking with parents and has passed out fliers to draw attention to the issue.

School board members say they think it's important to keep a strong program for sixth-graders. If it lapses, Nebo could end up in a similar situation of many school districts in California that cut music years back. Now they regret it and have to start from scratch.

"It's a task, and we're committed to finding the best solution we can," Superintendent Chris Sorensen said.

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E-mail: lhancock@desnews.com