What is a Band Assessment?
A band assessment covers the costs for a student in band or color guard, above costs that are paid for by the school and/or school district. The Assessments Directors will email assessment statements to you several times during the year. Statements will include information on assessed fees, payments made, and remaining balances.

Whom do I contact if I have questions about my assessment statement?
The Assessments Directors for 2009 - 2010 are Michele Loewenstein and Connie Shook. Please email questions to michlo55@hotmail.com. Please email any time you have a question about your assessment statement and/or balances.

What does the Band Assessment cover?
The school district does not provide all of the funding that is needed to support a quality band program such as ours.  For the Pearce High School Band, non-school provided funds are required in three areas:

• REGISTRATION
  "Registration" fees are assessed for expenses such as gloves, shoes, uniform cleaning, refreshments during marching season, color guard uniforms and bags, instrument rentals, and more. The amount to be paid varies depending on the individual equipment needs of the students, the number of students in the band program, and whether your student marches or is in the color guard or is a drum major. This is a required fee for all band and color guard students (including color guard students who are not in a concert band). It is paid at band registration in August during summer band.
• OPERATIONS
  "Operations" fees are used to support all activities of the band not covered under the headings of registration and spring trip. Supplies, staff assistance, entry fees, clinicians, and student development are examples of Operations expenses. The Operations fee for 2009 - 2010 is $200. This is a required fee for all band and color guard students (including color guard students not in a concert band). It is paid at band registration in August during summer band.
• SPRING TRIP
   Each year, the band takes a trip to a destination away from the Dallas area.  Three of the years a student is in high school, the trip is usually in Texas.  Every four years, the trip is out-of-state.  For all spring trips, students must pay the cost of transportation, accommodations, and other miscellaneous trip expenses. In 2008-2009, the spring trip destination was Port Aransas/Corpus Christi. The trip cost $380.  In 2009 - 2010, the spring trip destination is New York City, including playing at Carnegie Hall!  The estimated cost of this trip is $1,500.  Trip commitments will be due early in the fall of 2009.  If you commit to the spring band trip for your child, the entire amount of the trip will be assessed to your child. Trip payments may be made in multiple installments, as set by the band.  You can start paying for the trip at any time prior to the deposit being due. To aid in spreading out this cost, you may make partial payments at any time before each installment is due.  The trip must be paid in full before the trip at a deadline to be determined.  Previously unpaid Registration and/or Operations fees are due by December 15.  If your child has an outstanding balance for Registration and/or Operations fees, any payments we receive from you for the trip will be allocated first to pay off the unpaid Registration and Operations Fees and then to the spring trip without any additional notification to you.

What else do I need to know about Assessments?

• All payments are first applied against previously unpaid fees and then against more recent fees (i.e., registration fees first, operations fees second, and trip fees last).
• Any balances left in your account at the end of the year are automatically carried over into next year. If your child is a senior, you will receive an email at the end of the year notifying you of any refund that you may be due. Account balances may also be transferred to consecutive siblings. Refunds can be made, but must be requested.  If a refund, or transfer to a consecutive sibling, is not requested for any graduating senior, the account balance will be treated as a donation to the PABC.
• Assessment statements will be emailed to you as payments are due throughout the year.
• You may make installment payments toward your fees at any time before the fee is due.
• If you are unable to pay a fee any time you receive a bill, please contact the current Assessments Director. We would be more than happy to work with you to come up with a payment schedule that fits your family's needs. There are no scholarships and there is no financial aid available for Registration or Operations Fees.
• All fees must be paid prior to the trip fee deadline, in order for your child to participate in the spring trip. There are some spring trip scholarships available.  Contact the current Scholarship Director (for 2009 - 2010 it is Barb Altman).

Can I reduce the Band Assessment I owe?

There is no way to directly reduce the amount your child owes to the band due to IRS guidelines for non-profit organizations.  However, to keep assessments fees as low as possible, we encourage all students and parents to help with efforts in raising funds to support the band by participating in band fundraisers such as finding corporate sponsors (to be listed on the PABC website), finding sponsors for band ads in the football program, soliciting sponsors/donations for the annual MMB March-a-Thon, soliciting items and selling raffle tickets for the annual auction, and donating items for the Mighty Mustang Market (garage sale).  For more information on fundraising, see the Fundraising page of this website.

This page last updated on 8/06/09.