![Students across the district are taking a stand to protest the phasing out of the FISD harp program. "It was important that it was made [so] the board can understand that we have a large community, not within just the students itself but from people who are supporting the harp program, and want to listen to harp music," sophomore, harpist Bright Cheng said.](https://libertywingspan.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Untitled-design-4-1-1200x800.png)
After the Frisco ISD Board of Trustees revealed that the district’s harp program would be phased out as a result of budgetary concerns amid the district’s $27 million deficit, middle school Frisco student Grace Kang created a petition to save the program, and as of April 9, the petition currently has over 5,000 signatures.
“As a current harpist in the Frisco Independent School District, I have first-hand experience of the incredible joy and satisfaction the harp program brings,” Kang writes in the petition. “This is not just about preserving the harp program; it’s about continuing a legacy that allows new 6th graders to engage in an amazing musical adventure. We will stand and let the Frisco Independent School District notice our defiance and our resilience to continue the harp program; urging them to reconsider any decisions that would lead to its downfall. Together, let’s rally to save our harp program.”
The Frisco Harp Program has been around for eight years, providing students with unique opportunities.
“I think what’s so incredible about Frisco offering a harp program is that it takes away the stigma of it being an instrument that’s too expensive for people because it’s such a specialized instrument,” orchestra director Julie Blackstock said. “If you don’t have access or money to buy a harp [or] rent a harp, it becomes an impossible instrument to have, so what I think is so wonderful about Frisco is being able to allow students access to that instrument and access to vital instruction in the sixth grade.”
More than 130 students are currently enrolled in the harp program, with many students being involved in all-state ensembles, regional competitions, college scholarships, and more.
“It was important that it was made [so] the board can understand that we have a large community, not within just the students itself but from people who are supporting the harp program, and want to listen to harp music,” sophomore, harpist Bright Cheng said. “Having a lot of signatures just shows that we have a lot of support.”
