Despite its recently expanded presence, Kids’ Orchestra—the after-school music education program offered to East Baton Rouge Parish kindergarteners through fifth-graders—begins the school year facing some major challenges.
Most recent is a significant shakeup in the nonprofit’s board of directors, with three directors vacating their seats over the past week, including the nonprofit’s founder and longtime chair, Nanette Noland of The Powell Group. Also departing were former treasurer David Warrington, also of The Powell Group, and Beverly Brooks Thompson of Brooks Thompson Consulting, who is running for the state legislature.
The reasons behind their respective departures remain unclear. The Powell Group did not respond to multiple requests for comment before this afternoon’s deadline, while Thompson declined to comment earlier this morning.
“We’re actively looking to fill the empty seats, keeping diversity in mind—not only as it relates to race, but also to the areas we serve throughout the parish,” says Branden Barker of Barker Property Management & Commercial Real Estate, who has stepped in as board chair. “We’re picking up the torch from Nanette [Noland] and continuing the mission of the organization.”
Due to certain donor confidentiality agreements, Daily Report was unable to confirm circulating reports that The Powell Group is pulling funding from the organization. If true, that absence would deal a major blow to the program, which has historically leaned on the company for financial support.
Regardless, the board members’ closely staggered exits come as student enrollment at Kids’ Orchestra was sliced in half (from 800 down to 400) after the program was passed over for a three-year, 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant—a federal funding source dedicated exclusively to after-school programs that it had previously received.
“We had to look at ways of cutting, and we’re very sad we had to move in this direction,” says Executive Director Jody Hanet, who adds Kids’ Orchestra is contesting the grant committee’s decision. “But we’re moving forward and serving as many kids as we can with the donors and sponsors that we have.”
While Hanet declined to say how much the grant was worth, she says the dollars go toward tutoring and academic services other than the homework help already offered through the program.
However, not all is doom and gloom: Kids’ Orchestra has opened seven new sites across the parish, says Hanet, recently entering the Zachary Community School District and expanding its presence in Baker. Qualitative and quantitative research is also being conducted by The University of Oregon to determine the local program’s impact. Hanet says the early results look promising.
“In the past, Kids’ Orchestra has been one of the best-kept secrets in town,” she says. “Now, we need to bring ourselves forward and get more people involved in different ways to help us make children’s lives better every afternoon.”
