Commissioner David Richardson requested at the February 9, 2022 Commission meeting to place an item for discussion on the Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee agenda to discuss providing funding to the Miami Beach Senior High School Marching Band for uniforms.   At the March 30, 2022 Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee a motion was passed recommending matching funds in the amount of $20,000 per allocated for the 2022-23 school year to support Marching Band uniforms and equipment.

A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. Most marching bands wear a uniform that includes an associated organization's colors, name or symbol. Most high school marching bands, and some college marching bands, are accompanied by a color guard, a group of performers who add a visual interpretation to the music through the use of props, most often flags, rifles, and sabers.

Marching bands are generally categorized by function, size, age, instrumentation, marching style, and type of show they perform. In addition to traditional parade performances, many marching bands also perform field shows at sporting events and marching band competitions. Increasingly, marching bands perform indoor concerts that implement many songs, traditions, and flair from outside performances. In some cases, at higher level competitions, bands will be placed into classes based on school size.

Per Miami Dade County Public Schools Office of Visual and Performing Arts, there are currently 65 high schools in Miami-Dade County Public Schools.   Of those, about half have active marching bands that perform during athletic events like football games.   In Spring, they pivot to a concert band.

Per email from Mr. Tyson Sterne, Miami Beach Senior High School Band and Orchestra Director, to Juliet Gonya dated December 10, 2021, the cost per uniform is estimated at $450 each.  With approximately 40 uniforms needed, the total cost would be about $18,000.   Additionally, marching band instrument purchase and repairs was included at a cost of $10,000 per year.

During the Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee meeting on March 30, 2022, additional information was provided by PTSA members indicating the need would be up to 80 students at $400 per uniform with an anticipated need in the 2022-23 school year for 20 students.  Additional support was requested for instruments, specifically snare drums at $500 each (4 needed), bass drums at $700 each (5 needed), tenor drums at $1,200 each (2 needed), and stands/cases for the full drumline at $5,000.   The total initial cost is anticipated to be $44,900 of which the request to the city for matching funds would be $20,000.

The City’s Administrative Order PO.16.02 requires purchases under Category 2 (Purchases between 15L and 100K), to obtain up to three quotes if the purchase is >$15K.  If doing a multi-year contract, the contract will be limited to $100K unless the City goes out for formal competition.  As such, city administration will obtain the three quotes required.

Members of the PTSA also presented a budget for Marching Band annual costs for approximately $37,000 per year.