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Fiscal Year 2021 → Question 1
ANSWER:
The current Extracurricular Activities Programs (ECA) guidelines and contract with the Montgomery County Education Association outlines the following Class III stipends (offered at each middle and high school) for drama or dance, offered at all schools:
Middle School High School
Drama Director (one production) $1,995 Drama Director $5,055 Drama Director (two productions) $3,990 Music Theatre Director $975 Stage Director $750 Stage Director $4,995
Other examples of ECA stipends that support the fine arts include:
Instrumental Music Director (Middle) $1,275 Instrumental Music Director (High) $2,550 Jazz Ensemble Director (Middle) $1,050 Competitive Marching/Pep Band (High) $2,475 Marching/Pep Band Director (High) $1,650 Pep Band Director (High) $ 900 Choral Director (Middle) $1,500 Choral Director (High) $4,500
Additional funds are available to schools via ECA Class I activity funds to be used at the school’s discretion to support specific needs and interests of students. Examples of these currently include choreography and play directors.
The average cost for an assistant to an ECA head stipend is approximately 91.2% of the cost of the head stipend. Very few ECA head stipends have assistant stipends – high school football, high school track and field, high school cross country, and high school indoor track.The cost of a high school drama director is $5,055 per school. If MCPS provides each high school with an assistant drama director stipend, the approximate cost per school will be $4,605. The approximate total cost to provide this stipend in all high schools will be $115,125 (25 schools x $4,605). The cost of a middle school drama director leading two productions is $3,990 per school. If MCPS provides each middle school with an assistant drama director (two productions) stipend, the approximate cost per school will be $3,645. The approximate total cost to provide this stipend in all middle schools will be $145,800 (40 schools x $3,645). Once the assistant drama director stipend descriptions of activities are determined, that will drive the final costs of the stipends.
An ECA stipend activity that may be similar to a proposed dance team stipend activity is the gymnastics stipend. The sponsor for gymnastics is paid for the time it takes for preseason planning and preparation, contest preparation, transportation, practices, regular season meets, and an end-of-season meet. Using this similar gymnastic stipend, if MCPS provides each high school with a dance team stipend for one production, the approximate cost per school will be $1,965. The approximate total cost to provide this stipend in all high schools will be $49,125 (25 schools x $1,965). Once the dance team stipend description of activity is determined, that will drive the final cost of the stipend.