By utilizing the information from the band enrollment projection and optimal instrumentation, projections can be made in regards to the number of instruments that will be required to outfit the bands for each year over a five year span. By taking the projected number of instruments needed and comparing that number against current inventory it is easy to see what instruments will need to be purchased as well as in what year the purchases will need to be made. Consider using numbers that will allow for one additional instrument of each to have to loan out when an instrument must go in for repairs so that every student has a functioning instrument at all times.
Using this data will make a pretty firm argument for the needs of your students and program. Numbers talk when it comes to fiscal planning in a district and without the data to back it up, many times the needs of the band program can go unfulfilled.
In the following table, it is easy to see what wind instruments will be needed using the aforementioned method. The table is set up for a 5 year period and is color coded to show when and how many additional instruments will need to be purchased. Use 5 different colors, one for each time the same instrument is purchased, to make it easy for administrators and board members to read.
Use an asterisk or other symbol next to the number of instruments to be purchased to denote instruments that are old and no longer cost effective to repair and need to be replaced. This shows your administration and board that you are keeping a careful eye on district equipment and are trying to extend the life of an instrument as long as possible.
Include the current cost to purchase the instruments on your list, but also, note that the prices were bids when the document was prepared and could possibly go up when the items from the document become a request. Quotes are generally good for 30-90 days. Ask for the retail prices so that when the results of the document become a request, the prices will most likely be lower than quoted and the invoice will end up being under budget. Ask the vendor to keep you apprised of any changes in cost of the instruments needed for the upcoming year. This will also instill confidence in your stewardship of district funds.
Using this data will make a pretty firm argument for the needs of your students and program. Numbers talk when it comes to fiscal planning in a district and without the data to back it up, many times the needs of the band program can go unfulfilled.
In the following table, it is easy to see what wind instruments will be needed using the aforementioned method. The table is set up for a 5 year period and is color coded to show when and how many additional instruments will need to be purchased. Use 5 different colors, one for each time the same instrument is purchased, to make it easy for administrators and board members to read.
Use an asterisk or other symbol next to the number of instruments to be purchased to denote instruments that are old and no longer cost effective to repair and need to be replaced. This shows your administration and board that you are keeping a careful eye on district equipment and are trying to extend the life of an instrument as long as possible.
Include the current cost to purchase the instruments on your list, but also, note that the prices were bids when the document was prepared and could possibly go up when the items from the document become a request. Quotes are generally good for 30-90 days. Ask for the retail prices so that when the results of the document become a request, the prices will most likely be lower than quoted and the invoice will end up being under budget. Ask the vendor to keep you apprised of any changes in cost of the instruments needed for the upcoming year. This will also instill confidence in your stewardship of district funds.