Competitive Marching Band Fall 2020
Dear MISD Parents, Students and Community Members:
After meeting with McKinney ISD’s high school band directors, and with the safety of our students as our greatest concern, we have made the difficult decision that our students will not participate in a competitive marching band season this fall, due to concerns of the spread of COVID-19.
As you are aware, undertaking a competitive marching season involves significant amounts of time, planning, energy, and funding, from the district, booster clubs, and individual parent contributions. We take the investment of these funds very seriously, and we believe it is in the best interest of our schools, families, and students to use these resources to support a marching experience that we can be sure will safely allow all students to participate.
While we are devastated that our incredible bands will not compete this year, we have been working hard to develop a plan to give our students the best marching experience considering the current health crisis. Each high school will still produce a marching show, though it will be significantly shorter in length and include a number of safety measures intended to ensure student safety. We are eagerly awaiting information from the Texas Education Agency and University Interscholastic League with guidelines regarding marching bands presence at football games, but students can be assured of some kind of marching band performance opportunity.
McKinney ISD Fine Arts will continue to monitor the situation, listen to the guidance of local health officials, and adjust our plan throughout the fall. We will keep devoting our time and energy to our student-musicians, providing them with outlets for expression and opportunities for camaraderie with friends and the band community, all while committed to our highest responsibility – assuring our students’ health, safety, and well-being.
Each of our head band directors will have more details to share in the coming weeks, and we are looking forward to seeing the students again soon!