High turnout from false MySpace rumor

By Jordan Cohen

Marching band members reacted to a busing rumor.

VIENNA — Mathews Board of Education members say they have never seen a public turnout like the one that showed up for Wednesday’s meeting.

Nearly 45 people, at least 20 of them high school band members, crowded the small board room to protest what they believed was a decision by the board against busing the band to the football team’s five away games because of rising fuel costs.

It was a graphic display of the power of the Internet to rapidly spread information that may not always be accurate.

The group immediately learned that the board has no such plans.

“We had heard at band camp last week that the board would no longer pay to bus the band to the road games,” said Kathleen DiTommaso, Vienna, who has two sons in the band. DiTommaso said band members host a page on MySpace, the computer networking site, where the information was posted.

“It just grew from there,” DiTommaso said.

Board member Kenneth Wallace squelched the rumor, but warned the group that next year could be different.

“There will be no changes to any schedule, and the board is paying for the buses,” Wallace said, adding, “However, I would expect we will be looking at it again, given that fuel prices have doubled. I’m not saying we’ll change it, but we’ll have to look at it.”

Later Superintendent Lee Seiple confirmed the issue had been considered.

“Last year, we paid $1,850 to bus the band to five away games, but remember, those were last year’s gas prices,” Seiple said. “We’ve looked at all transportation and tried to find where we can save dollars because of fuel costs.”

In another item, the board and the Mathews Education Association, the bargaining unit for the district’s 67 teachers, have agreed on a contract extension to Sept. 30. The teacher contract was to have expired in four days. Bargaining sessions have taken place this month.