A once-small Richmond High music program has expanded dramatically, but district budget deficits threaten music, arts, theater and dance positions.
A music room that once had only a handful of aging instruments is now at the center of a looming fight over arts funding, after budget deficits pushed Richmond High School’s thriving program into the spotlight.
When Andrew Wilke took over the music program at Richmond High School in 2014. just seven students were participating out of a school population of more than 1. 000.. The program was housed in a building dating to 1953 and. by Wilke’s account. it relied on “a few” instruments that were worn down and outdated.
Building the program required more than classroom instruction.. Wilke, who grew up in the district, pursued grants and added classes as a way to expand access.. That effort helped set the stage for a major turning point in 2016. when an anonymous donor purchased more than $100. 000 worth of instruments for the school.
Within a few years. the change became visible in enrollment and student participation: more than 200 students were playing instruments. including many who were learning for the first time.. The program now includes an orchestra. jazz band. marching band and wind ensemble—an unusual scale for a high school setting where most music participation typically follows years of earlier experience.
Wilke attributes the program’s reach to sustained support and to the way it builds a culture of persistence.. In his view. the program doesn’t just teach students how to play; it gives them motivation to keep showing up even when learning becomes difficult.. For students, he said, that sense of momentum can translate into stronger habits that extend beyond practice rooms.
The music program’s growth also sits in a broader context of need.. Wilke said Richmond High School is the only Title 1 high school in Northern California offering a program of that scope. referring to Title 1’s supplemental federal funding based on student need.. In a district where attendance and graduation challenges affect many students. he said every student involved in the music program has earned a high school diploma.
While Richmond High’s band room keeps expanding. the district preparing to cut arts programming creates a more uncertain future for students.. The West Contra Costa Unified School District is reportedly preparing to make significant reductions to music. arts. theater and dance. with as many as 21 arts teaching positions identified for elimination.
The reductions. approved earlier this year. are also tied to a plan to close a $127.2 million deficit over the next three years.. The district’s approach includes eliminating orchestra and band programs at all elementary schools. changes that could reshape when and how students first encounter instruments.
For Jordyn Mader. a music teacher at Richmond High who works with beginning musicians. the concern is direct: if elementary programs disappear. students may not learn their instruments until middle school.. That shift, she said, could affect the pipeline of students arriving at Richmond High ready to continue in the program.
Teachers are already feeling the pressure of uncertainty beyond the music department.. Wilke described a workload that includes teaching six classes a day. fundraising for the program. and accompanying students on field trips and competitions.. He also serves in a broader support role for students dealing with instability. immigration-related fears. community violence. and the everyday complexities of teenage life. from college applications to relationships.
For Wilke and many staff members, arts instruction is intertwined with student wellbeing.. He described efforts to ensure students—particularly those growing up in extreme adversity—stay safe and supported. emphasizing that many families in his student body are affected by immigration concerns even when students themselves are not immigrants.
Richmond High’s student demographics shape how the program is taught and which musical traditions students see reflected.. Sources describe the student population as overwhelmingly Latino. with additional African American students and a large share of English language learners.. A portion of students have been in the United States for less than four years. and Wilke said he incorporates pieces from Black and Latino musicians to make the curriculum feel relevant and connected to students’ lives.
For Gerardo, 16, the program provided a path that started from near zero.. He came to the United States in 2022 from Sinaloa. Mexico. and said that when he entered Wilke’s class he didn’t speak much English and had never studied an instrument.. Now he plays the oboe. double bass and tenor sax. and he credits music with helping his English through the need to listen closely and follow along with instruction and video tutorials.
Gerardo described the personal impact of having found something he could do well and choosing not to let it go. He also said the music program has made his life less limited, opening doors and offering experiences he might otherwise not have had.
Bella Mariscal, 18, described a similar sense of belonging and focus.. She plays bass and flute, and she said she began with the flute in second grade.. Mariscal connected music to attention and emotional regulation. saying that when her mind wanders. playing and listening help calm and stabilize her thinking.. For her. ensemble work has also become a form of communication—“like we’re talking” with other musicians through a shared language.
The program’s momentum has also been supported by outside funding.. Richmond High’s music program recently received a three-year. nearly $1 million grant from the city of Richmond. which sources indicate has helped pay for music coaches working one on one with students.. The funds have also subsidized field trips to competitions around the state. music camp and a Disneyland appearance where the marching band performed.
Beyond travel and coaching, the grant has helped expand learning opportunities. Eighteen Richmond High students recently took part in a master class with a professional jazz ensemble from New York, adding another layer of access to high-level instruction and performance culture.
Student participation is not limited to school day experiences; the program also shapes academic motivation.. DJ Carradine, a 17-year-old saxophone player, said music is a major reason he attends school.. He described a plan to attend a local state university before transferring to a music conservatory. while noting that he views his other classes as necessary for graduation—setting music as the central long-term goal.
Even with the benefits, the district’s reported trajectory is pushing staff and families toward uncertainty.. With the district poised to cut up to 300 positions. including teachers and classified staff. Wilke and students do not know what the next chapter will look like.. Sources indicate many teachers are looking for jobs elsewhere, potentially weakening institutional knowledge even if the music program remains standing.
In the meantime, the day-to-day reality inside the band room continues.. Wilke said many students may not initially expect that they matter in their day-to-day lives. but in the program they come to understand they are essential to the ensemble.. He framed each student’s role as increasing responsibility: the group works only when everyone shows up and contributes.
Richmond High School music program West Contra Costa Unified Title 1 arts education budget deficit cuts school band programs music coaching grant student access to music