Bentonville parents push for one band in two-school district

BENTONVILLE -- Some parents would like to see the School District keep one competitive marching band after the transition to two high schools next year.

The Bentonville Pride Marching Band reached new heights of prestige this month, placing sixth out of 63 bands at the Music for All Bands of America Super Regional Championships in St. Louis. Bentonville placed 12th at the same competition last year.

Six parents spoke at the School Board's Oct. 19 meeting to request the competitive band be kept intact next year when West High School opens. Splitting the band would suppress the program's momentum, they said.

"You won't be able to compete in the same competitions and go to these same opportunities when you have smaller bands," said Marcie Bayles, who has three children in the band. "So we actually would be losing opportunity instead of gaining opportunity."

That would be especially true for those students transferring to West High School, which is expected to open next year with fewer than one-third the students Bentonville High has now. Small bands just don't have the same ability to compete on a national level as larger bands do, Bayles said.

Debbie Millerschultz, whose son was in the band before graduating this year, also argued in favor of one competition band. The band's recent success has "put our name on the map here in Bentonville," she said.

The parents said each high school could have its own pep band, but the larger competitive band -- which students must audition for -- could combine both schools.

The Pride Marching Band consists of about 265 students who perform at the halftime shows at football games and the competitions, said Scott Tomlinson, band director. West High would have about 80 in its band next year, he said.

Tomlinson, in his fifth year at Bentonville and his 35th year of teaching, said he was hired to usher the program into national prominence. That meant introducing new techniques and more complexity to the band's shows.

"I feel like we've done that really, really successfully," Tomlinson said. "And now that the parents and kids have had the taste of that juice, they want to continue drinking it."

Tomlinson said he brought up the idea of keeping one competition band to Superintendent Michael Poore last year, but since then he has dropped it. He said he'll support whatever decision the district makes. In any case, he believes Bentonville High will continue to do well in national events.

Poore, when asked about the issue, didn't indicate he has made up his mind about it. He said part of the motivation to open a second high school was to create additional extracurricular opportunities for students.

"That's kind of the challenge to this discussion," Poore said. "I understand how good our band is, and we're very proud of that. But we're also proud of a lot of other programs doing well right now."

He said he would meet with band supporters soon to discuss the matter.

Board member Rebecca Powers heard the parents' pleas at this month's board meeting. She has mixed feelings about their proposal, she said.

"The juniors going to Bentonville West have worked really hard during their ninth and 10th grade years," Powers said. "So they're losing an opportunity they've been working for."

She said she asked one of the parents if they could provide her reasons a 100-person band couldn't be just as productive as a 300-person band.

There are other school districts in the country with multiple high schools that have gone to one competitive band. The Marching Pride of Lawrence Township, for example, is a combination of two high schools in Indiana.

That's one of the many bands Bentonville will compete against in the Bands of America Grand National Championships next month in Indianapolis. This is the first year Bentonville has qualified for the event.

NW News on 10/31/2015