LETTER:Opposes cuts

I am disappointed and worried to learn that Port Angeles School Board intends to cut the sixth-grade band program.

As a graduate of Port Angeles School District music programs, I know first-hand how much the programs in art and music mean to students.

Research has long shown how the benefits of studying the arts extend far beyond the stage and the classroom.

As we begin to look beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, we must support arts education and work proactively to protect the mental health of our youth.

James Garlick,

Minneapolis, Minn., and part-time resident of Port Angeles

EDITOR’S NOTE: James Garlick is the co-artistic director of Music on the Strait.