Registration
Step #1- Make sure you have registered for band though this google form. This allows you to get information from us and for you to give us input on things we need to play for the year. This is due by June 1st.
Step #2- Any Band Fees or other money paid into the Band Association be done using this link or can also be mailed to AHS and the address is listed on the bottom of this page.
Funding Sources
It is very important to understand how the band program is funded and from what sources. An organization that makes up more than 15% of Asheville High is going to take a lot of money to run. It is often a misconception that ACS does not fund the band program well. Nothing could be further from the truth. Asheville City Schools has funded the band program very well for decades building an infrastructure of facilities, instruments, and staffing that is well above average in NC. When other band programs were disbanded during the Great Depression Asheville High continued to fund a band program and 9 decades later that support is still there. The tradition of support is deep and advocacy from band parents is the backbone of that support. However, it is important to know that the school system does a wonderful job supporting the program through directors, facilities, and large instrument purchases and maintenance. It is the school system’s role to fund capital and infrastructure. It is the parent’s fund trips, food, and extra camps / instruction that allows the program to be better than average and this is where fees come into play.
Band Fee
The band fee at AHS is $300. It has been $300 for at least 10 years. The phsilopsophy among parents has been that they would rather pay a fee than fundraise non stop, and would rather pay a fee that covers the vast majority of expenses. Many programs nickel and dime parents over the course of a year. Every t-shirt, every bus trip, and every thing done has a $10-$20 cost associated with it. It has been requested by parents that we not do that and parents have expressed they would rather pay a fee than constantly send money in for things. The band fee has stayed the same despite the rising cost of items and general program expenses. We recycle materials where we can, take donation items, and do all that is possible to keep it the same each year. Feeding the band is a large expense and one of the greatest places parents can donate items. As you see on the list of items that this goes towards, we are generally spending more than $300 per student. The list of materials this covers goes up and down depending on the year. Some years we may spending $5,000 on concert wear, for example, and other years maybe far less depending on the number of sizes we have here already. This year, for example, the t-shirt bill for marching band shirts $2,500- 1,000 more than last year. However, we spent 600 less on the halftime music than in 2021. The year the boosters bought new uniforms they cost 54,000! Different years have different needs and the AHSBA helps prioritize those needs. The document below is an estimate based on normal years. Exact figures are given in AHSBA meetings during the treasurer report.
Need Assistance?
We DO NOT want money to be an obstacle for any student. If you would prefer to have more fundraisers or need assistance let the director know privately. If you know of folks who would like to support the program by paying a student’s band fee for them, that is not uncommon. There are also easy fundraising options that do not involve selling anything that will cover 100% of this fee on the fundraising page.
Below is an estimate of budget items that are paid for through fees in a typical year. This was the budget for 2021.
