The Loker Elementary School music pilot, which reduces pull-out instrument lessons from 75 to 45 minutes in grades 4 and 5, has stirred controversy in town, with parents protesting at school committee meetings.
Protesting parents said the pullout program offers more equitable access, a core part of a whole-child education, and a pipeline feeding into high-quality middle and high school band and orchestra programs.
However, several MetroWest public schools with strong academics feature robust, highly acclaimed performing arts departments without instrumental music pull-out programs. Instead, they structure their elementary instrumental programs through before- and after-school programs.
While Sudbury’s elementary schools have a pull-out program, Weston, Wellesley, Lincoln, Natick, Newton, and Needham schools do not.
In a pull-out music model, students miss a portion of standard academic classroom time to receive small-group instrumental instruction. The other schools offer instrumental lessons before or after school.
Wayland parents pay a $150 flat fee, which covers small-group pull-out lessons held twice a week as well as participation in the Wayland Elementary Bands or string orchestras. For families experiencing financial need, including those who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, the district provides financial assistance waivers approved by the director of finance before lessons start.
All three elementary schools unite periodically throughout the year for multi-school performances. While the school program provides all the necessary instruction for a student to succeed in elementary concerts, the school’s website notes that students may benefit from one-on-one private lessons.
The National Center for Education Statistics estimates that 30% to 50% of elementary band and orchestra students supplement their in-school instruction with either the district’s after-school WSCP Private Music Lesson Program or independent area instructors.
Most neighboring towns that do not offer pull-out programs have some variations, but most are similar. They offer general music for kindergarten through second grade, recorder instruction in the third grade, and chorus for fourth and fifth grades. The schools offer private instrument lessons on school premises at a discounted fee either before or after school. Once a student reaches a level of proficiency, they can join the school orchestra or band, which rehearses once a week before class.
For example, as part of the K-12 Wellesley Public Schools Music Education curriculum, Performing Arts Director Lauren Saracino said the school district offers students the opportunity to take after-school private voice and instrumental music lessons at their elementary schools.
Professional musicians provide private, semi-private, or small-group classes. Parents pay the teachers on a semester basis, and adults must accompany children. Rates are 20% to 30% lower than a private studio. The costs are higher than the $150 that many Wayland parents pay, but if a family qualifies for state or district fee reductions, the school’s business office offers partial or full tuition waivers.
The music fee for Loker families for music instruction was cut from $150 to $90 based on time reduced from the upcoming pilot.
The teachers sync directly with school band and orchestra curricula to maximize each child’s performance preparedness. Students play in a school-based ensemble, band, or orchestra that meets once a week before morning classes. For orchestra, Saracino said, it is the same teacher at all schools, and for band, there are a few teachers.
The district has an All-Town Band and All-Town Orchestra program for fifth-grade students. Rehearsals vary throughout the year, and there is one performance along with sixth-grade students toward the end of the year.
Saracino said she was not aware of Wellesley ever having a pull-out program.
“Our performing ensembles are very highly recognized at MICCA [Massachusetts Instrumental & Choral Conductors Association], MAJE [Massachusetts Association for Jazz Education], and Trills and Thrills, often earning the highest possible rating at these events,” Saracino said.
A survey of all the schools listed in this story indicated they are recognized for their performances at the Massachusetts Instrumental & Choral Conductors Association, and the MAJE competitions.
Loker Principal Brian Jones gave reasons for reducing time for the pull-out music program in June. He said factors that precipitated the new pilot were challenges in building a master schedule, putting the music teachers’ schedules first, a lack of progress in curriculum content, and a lack of instruction time for students who are not signed up for ensembles in grades 4 and 5.
Jones also said not all fourth- and fifth-graders want to sign up for an instrument. Some may not qualify for financial aid, and others may not feel comfortable seeking financial aid. According to Jones, 71.8% of Loker teachers felt the current schedule did not meet student needs.
The decision comes amid regional and national academic challenges. The National Assessment of Educational Progress compares 2019 pre-pandemic reading scores with 2024 post-pandemic scores for grades 4 and 8. Across the nation, average reading scores in 2024 were lower than in 2019, and the percentage of students at or above the proficient level also declined.
A 2026 Harvard-Stanford-Dartmouth analysis of MCAS data found that while wealthy Massachusetts schools have not seen a sustained decline, their performance is still below pre-pandemic norms in some measures.
In addition to the music pilot, Loker will simultaneously pilot two new curricula — Core Knowledge Language Arts and Caminos, a K-5 Spanish program — during this academic year.
