Share and Follow
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — A recent decision by the Aiken County School District has stirred discontent among parents, following the announcement to eliminate the chorus program from Paul Knox, North Augusta, and Kennedy Middle Schools. This move has raised concerns about the future of these schools’ music education offerings.
Todd Gillespie Jr., a former choir member from North Augusta High School, has taken to social media to express his concerns about this cutback. His worry stems from the fact that two of these middle schools serve as key feeders into North Augusta High School’s highly acclaimed choir program. Gillespie shared his apprehensions with NewsChannel 6, highlighting the potential impact this decision may have.
“It’s really disappointing,” Gillespie expressed. “I remember going through middle and high school, witnessing an overwhelming financial preference for sports and academics. The same level of support just wasn’t there for choir programs.” Gillespie’s experiences led him to a career as a choir teacher, underscoring his belief in the importance of early music education.
Gillespie emphasized that middle school chorus programs play a crucial role in nurturing future musicians and music educators. “Programs with middle school feeders tend to be more successful because they establish foundational roots—instilling a love for music and developing essential skills at an early stage. That’s the entire purpose of having these programs,” he explained.
“Programs that have middle school feeders are more successful because they have those roots being set, that love of music and those skills that are being set at the middle school level to feed the kids up. That’s the whole point of the program.”
Earlier this week, Gillespie posted the news about the cuts to Facebook, and it quickly went viral. Someone tagged the district’s school board representative, Colen Lindell, who said it was the first he had heard of it and he opposes cutting these programs. He told us the district did not make the school board aware of their decision.
“I issued a quick statement saying that, you know, I’m aware of their concerns, would be looking deeper into it the next day and that I would I support Choir, Band, Orchestra and the arts programs,” said Lindell, who represents District 4.
In a statement, the school district said the programs were cut because of loss of teacher allocation and a lack of student interest. They followed it up the next day, telling us Paul Knox found 50 student course requests for chorus not included in the information used to make the original decision. So, they’re going to hire one full-time chorus teacher to split time between Paul Knox and Kennedy. You can read the district’s full statements below.
Lindell said he will follow up and make sure arts programs continue to be supported.
“These programs matter. They are not extras — they are essential. They help shape confident students, build discipline, and create opportunities that reach far beyond the classroom,” he said.
Gillespie is skeptical, especially since North Augusta Middle School’s program is still cut.
“I think that this is a slippery slope. I think once you start taking away, it will not come back. I just truly do,” Gillespie said.
The school district also said they believe the arts are important to education. They nurture student talent by offering the AC Gateway program each summer for gifted and talented students in all vocations of visual and performance art.
Aiken County Public School District Statement 4/01/2026:
“Fine arts and exploratory course offerings, including career and technology education (CTE), in our middle schools are driven by student interest. Rising sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students have an opportunity to submit course requests for the upcoming school year.
When district and school leaders conduct each year’s allocation meetings for the upcoming year, they consider student enrollment projections, course requests, and any other pertinent information to determine teacher staffing. Increases or decreases in student projections typically have a comparable impact on teacher staffing. Unless slight, increases in student projections generally result in additional teachers; decreases in student projections generally result in reduced staffing. For the 2026 – 2027 school year, Paul Knox Middle, North Augusta Middle, and Kennedy Middle each lose teacher allocation due to decreases in student numbers. The loss of teacher allocation and low interest in comparison to other course offerings ultimately led to the decisions to close chorus classes.
Despite the changes described above, Aiken County Public Schools remains committed to strong fine arts programs, including chorus. This is evidenced by budgeting more than $338,000 annually for fine arts supplies and related equipment. Schools have the discretion to use those funds as they see fit as long as they are for fine arts and directly benefit students. Furthermore, the District offers an intensive summer arts program (Gateway), which includes chorus, and is exploring after-school choir opportunities, county-wide choir experiences, and expanded intersession offerings.
As a final and general note, the elimination of a teacher allocation at a school should not be misconstrued as a loss of someone’s employment. Schools throughout our District have shifts, increases, or decreases in teacher staffing each school year. Our Human Resources department works closely with school leadership to ensure appropriate placements for all of our returning teachers.”
Aiken County Public School District Statement 4/02/2026:
“On Wednesday, April 1, subsequent to concerns shared by the community, to which the district responded and explained the rationale to eliminate chorus, Paul Knox Middle School discovered that approximately 50 chorus course requests from students were not included in the information used to form the original decision.
The new information received results in student interest numbers for chorus at Paul Knox qualifying the school for a portion of a teacher allocation. Due to the anticipated difficulty of finding a part-time chorus teacher, a full-time chorus teacher will be split between Paul Knox and Kennedy Middle School, the school with the next highest student course request numbers.”