'Friends of J.S. Jenks' Works to Save School Programs

With the School District of Philadelphia undergoing a budgetary crisis, parents at have taken it into their own hands to protect arts and music programs at the school.

With the formation of the nonprofit organization, a group of parents, faculty and community members are working together in what, President of the Friends of Jenks board Haviva Goldman hopes will be the “model to engage the community in sustaining urban schools.”

“We want the community to see a community school as something it wants to invest in. Having a strong neighborhood public school, keeping families in the city, keeping young families from feeling they have to move to the suburbs, it is an investment in the community,” Goldman said.

The organization has been in the works for some time, as the fiscal struggles of the school district became more apparent, so did the need of Jenks supporters to take up the cause to keep art and music programs alive.

“Art was cut to only two days a week this year, and the principal was able to maintain and pieced together an art program,” Goldman said. “But it looks like it will be cut further next year, and we will be losing our two days of art in the budget.”

Goldman also fears that, although the instrumental music plan is not yet on the chopping block, the budget cuts are so drastic that it may just be a matter of time.

According to Goldman, it would take $36,000 to maintain a music program with a teacher if the district cuts the program, with extra money to help support the art program.

The nonprofit is still looking for fiscal sponsorship, with the help of the Urban Affairs Coalition. But in the meantime, the group is organizing the “Let There Be Music” fundraiser June 9, with a silent auction and live music at

More details will be coming soon about the fundraiser on Chestnut Hill Patch but in the meantime, visit the Friends of Jenks website at http://friendsofjsjenks.org/ for more information.