FRISCO, TEXAS — For several years, Frisco Independent School District (FISD) has faced budget challenges, with the district’s harp program facing the chopping block following a trend of budget slashes to programs across the district.
According to a statement released by the district following a community input meeting, the harp program is being cut due to a lack of funding to address the $27 million deficit that FISD has accumulated, resulting in the district being unable to fund the program long-term.
Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, 6th graders will no longer be able to participate in the harp program, however, current harp students will not be affected by this funding restructuring.
Grace Kang, a harpist and middle schooler in FISD, created a change.org petition to bring attention to budget slashes to the FISD’s harp program and to push for the decision to be reversed. The petition has amassed over 5,000 signatures as of March 24, 2025. On Feb. 24, FISD held a board meeting inviting students, teachers, and parents to express their concerns about the harp program.
Kang, with current and former harp students, educators from FISD, the American Harp Society, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and Texas Christian University expressed their concerns to the FISD board about why the harp program shouldn’t have its funding cut.
Kang shared her thoughts on why the Harp program should continue to be funded.“Taking this program away isn’t just about reducing costs, it’s about taking away a unique and life-changing experience for countless students,” she said. “One of the most cherished movements in this program is the district-wide harp concert. Every year, students from across Frisco ISD come together. Seeing sixth graders alongside graduating seniors reminds us of the…passion we all have. If this program disappears, so does that tradition.”
Not only is the continuation of tradition and preserving an identity important to harpists in the program, but preserving a rare opportunity to learn in a classroom setting is just as important to harpists and their educators.
This unique environment has created a legacy of excellence with various awards won by harpists in the program according to former FISD harp teacher Leanna Johnson.
She shared some statistics about the harp program’s impact on success, pointing out how in the past 14 years, of all the All-State Orchestra seats available for harp players, “Frisco Harpists have claimed 49 percent of the available spots. Especially considering the excellence of music education across the state, this is an incredible number from one district alone… [and it points] to the advantage that learning in a classroom setting can give,” she said.
Johnson emphasized the harp program’s significance on harpists once they left the program. She reiterated the program’s influence on her former student saying how she wouldn’t be able to pursue an excellent business degree program without the harp program making it possible for her to be where she is today.
Emily Peters, a FISD alumna and former harp player, shared her thoughts about the program’s impact on herself and her career.
“For 18 years this program has given students the chance to explore a unique instrument they might not otherwise encounter. It builds discipline, creativity, critical thinking, and confidence, shaping students… inside and outside the classroom… The harp program isn’t just about learning an instrument, it’s about helping students explore their passions and develop invaluable life skills… As a summa cum laude graduate from the University of Texas at Austin… I can tell you the discipline it instills strengthens problem-solving and the focus it requires sharpens time management, skills essential in my career,” she said.
According to Peters, the harp program has also offered a unique opportunity rarely found outside Frisco ISD.
“While private harp lessons are not always accessible to students, the school program offers a… unique opportunity by providing both the instrument and expert instruction in a supportive environment. Our district’s harp program is known for its excellence with students regularly excelling at All-State orchestra… This isn’t just about an extracurricular activity, it’s about sustaining a legacy of excellence, creativity, and opportunity for our students,” she said.
Students from Centennial High School also chimed in on the issue. Senior Saindhavi Hariharan, a former harpist in the Sinfonia Orchestra and six-year FISD harp player shared her feelings about the Harp program being shut down.
“I feel like the harp program was great since it allowed students to learn an instrument that most people never thought of playing. It also distinguishe[s] our district from other districts since FISD is one of the few districts that even supported such a large harp program throughout the country,” she said. “So, I am a bit sad that it is being cut down.”
While current harp students won’t be affected by the board’s decision to cut funding to the harp program, the future is uncertain for what remains of FISD’s harp program, but attending harp concerts, supporting petitions that raise awareness about the harp program’s funding issues, and writing to board members are actions you can take.
