Mom-of-three blasts Washington school board for canceling music lessons due to 'white supremacy'

A Washington mom-of-three slammed her local school board for canceling music lessons for fourth graders after a school board member alleged it was rooted in 'white supremacy culture' and 'institutional violence.'

Alesha Perkins blasted Olympia School District members after they voted last week to halt band and orchestra classes amid a million-dollar budget shortage.

Perkins called out School Board Director Scott Clifthorne, who argued that the school district was 'entrenched in… surrounded by white supremacy culture' at a meeting of concerned parents last week. 

Clifthorne argued that music lessons beneficial but inequitable since students at certain schools can miss out on 'core instruction.'

But, Perkins argued that Clifthorne's narrative was false and lacked evidence.

'We have reached a level of absurdity in our school district, among our school board and our leadership that is just hard to ignore at this point,' Perkins told Fox & Friends.

Alesha Perkins blasted Olympia School District members after they voted last week to halt band and orchestra classes amid a million-dollar budget shortage

Perkins called out School Board Director Scott Clifthorne, who argued that the school district was 'entrenched in… surrounded by White supremacy culture'

At the meeting, several students appeared in their band gear while carrying their instruments. 

Clifthorne compared white supremacy to the way the music courses taught. He claimed that while music courses were beneficial, the way they were offered results in some students missing classes. 

'There’s nothing about strings or wind instrumental music that is intrinsically White supremacist,' Clifthorne said. 

'However, the ways in which it is and the ways in which all of our institutions, not just schools — local government, state government, churches or neighborhoods — inculcate and allow White supremacy culture to continue to be propagated and cause significant institutional violence are things that we have to think about carefully as a community.

'And I think that we have to do that interrogation. And we have to address the ways in which it creates challenges for administering the educational day for our elementary learners while we retain the program.' 

In an interview with the news outlet, Perkins claimed the fourth grade music courses were a 'target' and certain policies were leading to families leaving. 

'We are losing students in huge numbers,' she said. 'I'm not talking about a handful of students. 

'I'm talking about hundreds and hundreds of students that are exiting the district, and they are virtually all citing these results. You cannot sustain a school district with a mass exodus of students.'

Clifthorne argued that music lessons beneficial but inequitable since students at certain schools can miss out on 'core instruction'

The school district has 12 elementary schools that will be impacted. Cutting the music course will help sort a part of the district's $11.5 million budget shortfall.

Removing band courses for fourth and fifth graders at the school district could save $530,000, according to The Olympian. 

But, only the fourth grade students were impacted in the end and the district kept the about $350,000 budget for fifth grade band students.

The district is expected to announce additional layoffs to combat the budget deficit and some parents fear for their child's education. 

Some staff cuts include 26 percent of the district's para-educators, according to KIRO7. Classroom sizes are also expected to increase.

'I’m worried for my kids’ education,' Romeo, a school district parent, told the news outlet. 

Others worried how far the budget cuts would stretch to and whether it would impact the arts even more. 

The woke school district has a contentious past and recently made headlines when an elementary school banned white students from a new 'safe space' club.

Earlier this year, Centennial Elementary started a new club for fifth grade students that was exclusively for people of color, according to 770 KTTH.

The students involved meet once a week to 'hang out, check in and possibly talk about their experiences as a student in the minority as they build community, connections and confidence,' Representative Jim Walsh wrote in an email.

A similar club for fourth graders was also in the works.