By Lloyd Jones
THE CONWAY DAILY SUN
CONWAY — Dozens of current and former Kennett High students turned out Monday to the Conway School board meeting to show support for performing arts instructor Holly Fougere, a 16-year veteran educator at the school, who faced having her position cut to part-time.
Due to declining enrollment in performing art classes, such as dance and chorus, Kennett High Principal Kevin Carpenter proposed in his 2023-24 budget to cut Fougere’s hours back, while using the remaining funds to outsource various programs.
His presentation was not well-received by those on hand, including the school board, which ended up voting unanimously to retain Fougere full-time.
Following Monday’s board meeting, Fougere posted on Facebook: “A few weeks ago, I was informed the principal wanted to cut my position to part-time because the enrollment numbers were down. Tonight the school board and (board’s) budget committee met. … When I arrived, the room was filled with parents and students who were there for support. …
“I was choked up hearing their words and what the program meant to them,” Fougere wrote.
“I was so proud of how elegantly they spoke and how much some of my alumni have grown into amazing adults. I could not have been more proud of them.
“Thank you to all the members who voted to keep the position full-time for another year. I am truly grateful.”
About 40 people turned out to Monday’s meeting. Most were there to support Fougere.
Cayleigh Mohla of Madison, who graduated in 2021 and was the vice president of the music honor society, was the first to speak in support of Fougere. “I just wanted to say that I would be disappointed to see choir, theater and dance pushed back a little bit,” she said.
Mohla said COVID-19 had an impact on several offerings at KHS.
“When I was in the music honor society, we did write a lot of letters to kids trying to convince them to continue playing their instruments and to continue singing because the pandemic really did affect people. They lost interest in it because it was hard to sing. I had to sing with a mask and a face shield on. It really discouraged us.”
Freshman Ella Gilmore was homeschooled for three years before high school. She called returning to public school “an incredibly daunting task,” but through the performing arts she has found “a second family.”
“Being a performing arts student introduces you to such an amazing community and helps you find a place in our crazy world. These programs help us find like-minded people that we wouldn’t connect with otherwise.”
Charly Williams of Tamworth, a 2021 KHS graduate and recipient of the Dance Team Spirit Award, said the performing arts changed her life.
“When I got to high school, my life literally changed when I signed up for Holly’s dance classes and then tried out for the dance team,” she said. “I was always such a shy and insecure kid, but through four years on the dance team, I was able to find myself, find a voice and find a group of people that I trusted and can go to anything.”
Hannah Flader, a freshman from Madison, said: “When my mom told me about the dance team at Kennett, I was reluctant, but I gave it a try. I also chose to try some of the performing arts classes in my schedule this year. Joining the dance team and performing arts community has given me much more than I expected. It has given me friends, the ability to feel like I fit in at a new school and a creative outlet while I work with all the changes in my life. From meeting kids in classes and on the dance team, I know I’m not the only one who needs the arts, the performing arts program.”
Amy Lantz of North Conway, a 2010 graduate and current dance team assistant coach, said students take part in at least 10 performances a year, while the higher-performing ensembles have performed at the Boston Celtics, Manchester Monarchs, New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Notre Dame Cathedral, Disney and more.
The dance and the choir program have won awards at state, regional and national levels, while theater students have written, produced and had four original musicals and plays published and performed.
“We have had 12 alumni go on to major in dance,” Lantz said. “We’ve had 40 alumni go on to major or minor in theater. And these performing artists just mean so much. They’re like everybody has said, they’re where you find your home.
“I firmly believe that cutting Holly Fougere’s position to part-time is not only a disservice to Holly, but also to the Kennett High School students that are there now and the community as a whole.”
Jason Fougere of Center Conway spoke in support of his wife and raised concern about outsourcing the arts. “For some reason, my wife has been chosen as somebody who will be eliminated in part and replaced with strangers from outside of the community that our families are not familiar with,” he said.
“And I’m concerned that’s the direction the high school is headed at this point — that my kids would be sent to a high school where teachers that I absolutely respect, that have put tremendous work into pedagogy and understanding how to deliver messages and make connections with students, that those people would be slowly eliminated and replaced with contracted workers from nobody knows where,” he said.
Board member Joe Mosca left his seat to speak as a resident during public comments.
“When I ran for the school board 5½ years ago, I said I would not cut sports or the arts, so you know where my vote is,” Mosca stated.
Under his budget presentation, Carpenter stressed the cut to part-time was not about the person but centered around declining enrollment in classes. He did not cite specific numbers in terms of class size.
“The goal is to try and find ways to increase opportunities students in the arts,” he said.
Carpenter said moving Fougere to part-time and contracting services would result in a net-zero increase to the budget.
Board member Cassie Capone made a motion to keep Fougere’s position full-time. Mike DiGregorio offered a second, and the motion passed 6-0.
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