To be or not to be…good question

PACE — How are the arts programs, like drama, at local high schools funded? It is a convoluted question made more difficult when adding emotions in the conversation. The emotional factor comes into play when having dedicated, passionate educators trying to provide the best educational experience with limited resources and funding.

"Schools are allotted money for the classes they teach," Jason Weeks, director of high schools for the Santa Rosa County Superintendents office said. "The school site determines how much each class receives."

Weeks said normally the number of students enrolled in the class determines the distribution of funds.

"Sometimes it costs more for certain subjects," Weeks said. "For example, a biology class will require more equipment than an English class. Weeks also said clubs are expected to be self sufficient, they receive no funding."

 Pace High School and Milton High School both schools have drama listed as elective classes and they receive funding.

"As far as school board funding, the school board funds it by paying for a teacher and providing the classroom," Jennifer Bunnell, a teacher at MHS, said.

Bunnell has taught drama at MHS for 11 years and during that time, she has not received textbooks or any funding for materials or supplies beyond departmental funds. She has two sets of class of textbooks she uses, one published in 1997, and the other in 2004. She does not have any materials available to her for teaching her advanced classes.

At PHS Valerie Wright has been teaching drama for 14 years. As for funding, Wright says she receives classroom supplies at the beginning of the year but those are generic and not what she would necessarily need for theater.

Both MHS and PHS drama programs said they feel they take just as much effort and practice as the athletics programs yet they are not funded the same. They said the only reasons the drama programs at these schools are still viable is due to the creative ways these teachers have found to raise money. Almost all the program trips, like those to New York to participate in workshops are 100 percent, are paid for by students and their parents or some form of fundraising. The drama teachers at both school said these are competitions for a class in the school's curriculum.

Chris Jadallah, a 2009 graduate of PHS, said he has always had a love for the arts, but it was his experience at Pace, specifically with an in-school television program that led him to start Calliope Films. His video production company is based in Pensacola.

Jadallah believes if drama was funded like athletics, it could give students more options for careers and as PHS did for him, maybe spark an interest in someone who would have never considered the arts as a way of life.

"Everyone needs to belong to something, and have a way to express themselves," Jadallah said.

Here are upcoming events for Milton High School drama.

Milton High School drama will be competing at Districts January 3, 4, and 5 in Niceville at Northwest Florida State College. The International Thespian Society hosts the competition. Milton will perform a one-act play for the contest.

MHS drama will also attend the International Thespian Society, Florida State festival in Tampa in March 2019, the same week as Spring Break. Every other year Drama teacher Jennifer Bunnell travels with students to New York City for a week. This is an off year for the New York trip.

Here are upcoming events for Pace High School drama.

Pace drama will have an improvisational night on Nov. 30. The large Christmas Cabaret is scheduled for Dec. 13 and 14 at 7 p.m. This performance features over 60 theater students singing and dancing. A district show-offs performance scheduled for Dec. 17, will give the community and family members an opportunity to see the performance the students are using for the competition in January.

Pace will attend District competition in January and State competition in March 2019. This year both competitions fall during Christmas and Spring Break.

Every other summer drama teacher Valerie Wright takes a group of students to New York City. She averages 45 students per trip. Students spend a week in New York participating in workshops and attending theater projects. Wright has been sponsoring this trip for 14 years.

Pace and Milton drama classes events and trips

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: To be or not to be…good question