The Centralia Community Foundation announced Jan. 18 that it has received a $25,000 anonymous donation designated specifically for the Centralia School District Music Department.
For some time, the Centralia School District has faced difficult financial realities, according to the announcement.
Due to past levy cuts, the music department was forced to pause its standard instrument replacement cycle, restricting the budget to only “urgent repairs,” according to the foundation.
This donation is a game-changer, allowing Centralia to finally move from a posture of survival to one of growth, the announcement stated.
Thanks to the support, the music department is funding a prioritized wish list totaling over $24,500.
“I can tell you right now, the instruments we are purchasing with this are going right into students’ hands,” Louie Blaser, Centralia School District music instructor, wrote on social media. “As an example of the need, our inventory still has King brand French Horns from before 1961 when my grandpa Brumbaugh was teaching band at CHS. Fixing them is cheaper in the short run than purchasing new ones for 4000 each, but over the long term I’m sure the repair costs have far exceeded the instrument’s value. We’ve had to make do with the ‘short run’ for far too long. This donation finally gives us some breathing room in our inventory.”
The foundation added: “Your support creates opportunities like this. Help us keep the music playing and our students thriving. It’s a great day to be a Tiger.”
For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/bdds2tnv.
