Stuff and Staff:

In Santa Monica, we are fortunate to have a school district that supports the arts. At the high school level, SMMUSD provides funding for two full time Band directors, partial funding for Color Guard instruction, and a small stipend for Instructional Aide in Band classrooms for a few hours per week.

The Samohi Band Parents Association (BPA) seeks donations and raises funds to supplement what the district provides, so that the program can continue to provide the highest quality music education to our students.

You may have heard the expression “Stuff vs. Staff” in relation to fundraising at SMMUSD schools.* For the Samohi Band program, the Barents Association (BPA) pays for the following:

The Samohi “Symphonic Winds” show off their new music folders.

Stuff

Music folders – Some classes got new folders this year!
Music stands
Sheet music royalty/rental fees
Photocopies (the BPA paid 1/3 the cost to purchase a photocopier used by the Samohi Band, Choir and Orchestra directors)
Band Room lockers and related supplies
New instrument purchases
School-owned instrument repairs and supplies
Concert programs
Student awards
Concert, Marching, and Jazz festival entry fees
Marching Band & Guard uniforms and supplies

and Staff

Full-time percussion instructor for all 5 Concert Band classes
Jazz Band II instructor
Concert Band festival adjudicators/clinicians
Partial funding for the Color Guard Caption Head & Color Guard Tech
Marching Band Percussion Caption Head & Percussion Tech
Marching Band Visual Caption Head & 2 Visual Techs
Miscellaneous Concert and Jazz Band Clinicians

On average, the BPA spends $250 per pupil per year on the Concert Band program, and $750 per pupil per year on students enrolled in Marching Band or Color Guard. We hope that you will consider contributing to our Direct Donation campaign.

Thank you for supporting the Samohi Bands!

*RE: “Stuff and Staff” in SMMUSD: In general, the PTAs raise funds for necessary “stuff” such as supplies, books and equipment at school sites, while your donations to the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation fund additional staff and programs at each school. For the Samohi Band program, the BPA pays both.