Oviedo summer band camp canceled over dispute

When Kathryn Jory’s son Henry was moving from elementary school to middle school, he did summer band camp to learn to play the tuba. 

There, Henry – now going into eighth grade – met “his people,” his mom says. He has been flourishing in middle school, and he credits summer band camp with easing that transition.

But this year, Henry didn’t get to do summer band camp. Just eight days before it was set to begin, the Jackson Heights Middle School and Lawton Chiles Middle School Summer Band Camp, hosted by Hagerty High School, was canceled.

“This would have been his last one,” Jory said. “He was really disappointed. It was really disappointing to be like, ‘Sorry, you can’t do the last camp.’”

The camps were canceled by the band directors over a dispute about paying teachers for the planning time. Oviedo Community News reached out to some of the band directors, but none agreed to interviews. 

The band directors were asking to be paid for pre-planning, according to one who wished not to be named. It was estimated to take 25 to 30 hours of prep time. The camps are funded entirely by tuition of at least $150 per student; the planning time compensation also would have come from the tuition for the camps.  

“We regret to inform you that due to new district regulations, we are unable to move forward with our Summer Band Camp this summer,” the band directors wrote in an email and in a Facebook post to parents May 21.

Students perform after the Jackson Heights Middle School and Lawton Chiles Middle School Summer Band Camp hosted by Hagerty High School in 2023. This year’s camp was canceled. (Photo courtesy of Kathryn Jory)

The band directors undersigning that cancellation were: Grace Kuperman at Lawton Chiles Middle School, Jeremy Willamson at Jackson Heights Middle School, Brittni Autrey at Lawton Chiles Middle School, Brian Kuperman at Hagerty High School, and Brad Kuperman at Hagerty High school.

In response, Demetria Hayes Faison, the assistant superintendent over middle schools, emailed the parents as well. 

“There is no School Board Policy or regulation related to band camps and the final decision makers of the band camps are the School Principals as they are the site supervisors,” Faison wrote. “Prior to band camp advertisement and implementation, it is the expectation that the full plan for the band camps be reviewed and approved by the Principal, and this includes planning time, scheduled activities, fees, compensation, etc. All of these items were not fully agreed upon before the advertisement of the camp, and for that, I must apologize.”

Faison said the decision to cancel the camp was made by the camp directors. The district then offered to pay to bus students to other camps in Seminole County. 

“It has been discussed with the Middle School Principals that the planning time should be comparable to the planning time/hours that has been allocated to other summer programs and the other middle school band camps which are operating this summer,” Faison wrote. 

When Oviedo parent Jory read that email, she sent one back, telling Faison that band and band camp has been an integral part of her son’s academic success. 

“They were blaming the teachers, is what it felt like,” Jory said. “It wasn’t us [the school district] that canceled it. But you can’t expect teachers to volunteer. It’s their job. Yes, it’s a calling, they go above and beyond all the time. But they deserve financial compensation for it.” 

SCPS spokeswoman Katherine Crnkovich responded in an email to Oviedo Community News, though Crnkovich, school board members and district officials all declined multiple requests for an interview. 

Officials said 139 students were registered, and that “all requested refunds have been processed.” The district said just one student was transported by bus to another band camp. Officials said the middle school principals will work with their band teachers to plan for next summer.

“This camp was canceled due to an issue with planning time for the instructors,” Crnkovich wrote. “Three other band camps are happening across the district, and SCPS offered transportation for any students registered for the initial camp at Hagerty so students would still receive a musical camp experience and learning opportunity.”

Oviedo Mayor Megan Sladek, who had signed up as a sponsor for the event, said two of her children went through all three years of band camp. She said she’s been contacted by some parents because they mistakenly think the City of Oviedo is involved in putting on the band camp. 

“There is a challenge from a policy perspective,” Sladek said. “I’m looking at this thinking there’s something with the red tape that didn’t turn out right. Some of the band camps were approved, and some were not. And no one seems to be able to tell me what the rhyme or reason is. But for the sake of Oviedo, I’m a little bummed out.” 

Sladek said it also affects high school volunteers at the event, who use the camp to count toward volunteer hours for Bright Futures scholarship volunteer requirements.

“This has impacted more than just the middle schoolers,” Sladek said. “The high schoolers count on it for their Bright Futures.”

Sladek said she plans to publicly address the board about the issue at the next school board meeting. That meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. June 18 at 400 E. Lake Mary Blvd. in Sanford. Regular school board meetings are streamed on YouTube. 

Ultimately, Jory’s son Henry was able to attend summer band camp at Central Winds Park. She said there were a handful of Jackson Heights Middle School kids there.

For Jory, she said she would want policymakers to know that if programs like the summer camp aren’t made a priority, they will go away. And that would “fundamentally change our kids’ educational experience for the worse.”

“And that scares me,” Jory said.  “I am worried that it won’t happen next year. And the other camps just physically aren’t going to be able to accommodate the hundreds of kids.”

• Additionally, SCPS is holding a budget workshop at 9:30 a.m. June 18 at 400 E. Lake Mary Blvd. in Sanford. The district is projecting a slight drop in enrollment for the next school year. The board workshop is not broadcast, and there is no way to attend the meeting virtually. Oviedo Community News will continue to request workshop audio recordings and make them available.