by Giles Morris - Daily News Staff

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The Rhinelander Board of Education is pursuing funding for a music program that would make it possible for all fifth-graders, regardless of their families’ income level, to participate in band. The initiative is the first in a series of co-curricular enrichment activities that the school district will introduce over the next few years to confront the issue of student engagement.

“One of our major problems is school engagement. One of the things we know about co-curricular activities like music, drama, and athletics is that the kids who participate in them do better on achievement tests,” said Roger Erdahl, district superintendent.

Erdahl says the schools will seek private funding to pay for the instruments used in the band program.

“We’re really interested in knocking down some of the barriers that keep our low-income kids out of athletics and other activities,” he said.

The band program is part of a much larger improvement plan the school district hopes to put forward to confront problems posed by today’s economic realities.

“We’re no longer living in a society, or an economy, where half the class can graduate with low skills. The first half of my career we basically sorted kids and that was acceptable. We prepared a small group for a rocket ride towards high-profile jobs,” said Erdahl.

Today’s economy calls for a highly-skilled labor force and Erdahl believes that if students start enrichment activities that help them engage in the classroom at an early age, they will leave high school better prepared to earn a living.

“Entering the workforce these days is a lot like getting ready for college used to be. You have to have skills and an education to compete,” said Erdahl.

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