Equal Access & Enhanced Economics — Instrumental Music
- Jeremy Earnhart
- Dec 30, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 10
Editor's Suggestion, First Read:
A Look at Arlington ISD and Irving ISD
What if removing a fee actually saved your district money?
Two Texas districts—Arlington ISD and Irving ISD—made instruments and uniforms 100% free to students. Participation surged. And the economics that followed surprised everyone.
Arlington ISD: $1.6M projected annual savings (2024 dollars) by filling secondary music classes to healthy participation levels
Irving HS Band: From 60 students in 2007 to 200+ in 2014—over 333% growth in seven years
Instruments and uniforms are 100% free to each student — Arlington ISD, 2025.
Irving ISD is committed to providing a superior education opportunity to all students interested in the performing arts and, as such, provides the use of school-owned instruments at no charge — Irving ISD, 2025.
(This is the access side of the argument I made in The Cost of Not Playing—what happens when districts lean in instead of cutting.)
Breaking Down Barriers to Access
From 2009 to 2013, student participation in secondary fine arts in Irving ISD increased by 40%. Arlington ISD saw a 22% increase in secondary performing arts enrollment from 2013 to 2017.
This growth was made possible by eliminating the financial burden of renting or purchasing instruments—a major hurdle for many families. At the time, 80% of Irving ISD students and 70% of Arlington ISD students were eligible for free or reduced lunch.
Despite misconceptions that students from low-income backgrounds lacked interest in band, choir, or orchestra, the real issue was accessibility. Many students were funneled into Art I simply because they had no prior experience in other fine arts disciplines—not due to a lack of desire to participate in music programs.
By providing free access to instruments, these districts demonstrated that interest in music was not the problem. Affordability was.
Funding the Initiative
Both districts leveraged capital bond funds to purchase musical instruments. These funds—typically used for vehicles, buildings, and computer equipment—were a viable source since quality musical instruments have a lifespan of over 10 years.
In Arlington ISD, a 2014 scientific phone survey gauged public support for using bond funds to purchase instruments for students who otherwise couldn't afford them. The response was overwhelmingly positive: 70% of voters supported the measure.
This strong backing contributed to the successful passage of Arlington ISD's May 2014 Bond Package, which included $9.8 million for instruments and uniforms.
Music Expansion = Enhanced Economics
Ensuring access to instruments was only part of the strategy. The districts also worked to increase student participation structurally—especially at the beginner level and in the transition from middle to high school.
A key component: demonstrating the financial benefits of growing music programs.
By analyzing participation data and staffing costs—in collaboration with the Arlington ISD CFO—we projected that fully enrolled high school music programs would generate significant cost savings. With over 3,000 students per high school (minus the 5A campus) and a target of 10% participation in band, the district calculated that achieving healthy participation levels in band, choir, and orchestra would result in annual staffing cost savings of $1.2 million in 2014—equivalent to approximately $1.6 million in 2024.
Through the 2014 Bond Program, we had funds to purchase instruments and uniforms for each of the six AISD high school music programs to grow to what we as a system chose to be healthful participation—Band: 300; Choir: 250; Orchestra: 250. The delta of each high school's current and desired enrollment was added together and divided by 28 (students per class) to determine equivalent class periods. These calculations were constructed and vetted in collaboration with the Arlington ISD Chief Financial Officer. Class periods were converted to Full Time Equivalents (FTE), then equated to 2014 budget allocations. When you added the room for student enrollment with current staff at the junior high and high school level, the net savings—in 2014 dollars—would be $1.2M, approximately $1.6M in 2026. The district could then choose cost savings or reallocate those FTEs for class size reduction or other programming. Either way, everyone wins.
A Win-Win for Everyone
The 2014 Bond Program allowed Arlington ISD to equip all six high school music programs with instruments and uniforms to support growth to target participation levels.
By increasing participation, the district could optimize staffing resources, reduce costs, or reallocate funds to other initiatives, such as class-size reduction.
This initiative exemplifies how strategic planning and community support can make the arts accessible to all students—fostering thriving music programs that benefit both students and the district as a whole.
What This Means for Your District
If your district is debating instrument fees or considering cuts to music programs, the data from Arlington and Irving tells a different story. Removing barriers didn't just increase access—it improved the bottom line.
Contact us to talk through what this model could look like in your context.
Jeremy Earnhart, Ed.D. is the author of The Cost of Not Playing — A widely circulated white paper (2026) examining how music participation shapes the financial health of school districts (43K + reads).
His Doctoral research centered around the Competencies of the Central Office Music Administrator:
Earnhart, J. L. (2017). Competencies of the public school music administrator: Texas music administrator perspectives. Journal for K-12 Educational Leadership, 1(1), 55–63. Dallas Baptist University.
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