A cash-strapped school district in southwestern Mississippi will eliminate its music program for elementary school students.

The superintendent of Amite County schools, Scotty Whittington, tells the Enterprise-Journal that the district needs to find $500,000 in next year’s budget.

He also says the district needs to hire a counselor for Amite County Elementary School, and deleting the school’s music program is one of the only viable options to save money.

An assistant principal, Jasmine Jackson, opposes the change, which is set for the 2019-20 school year. She says music education can help students with hand-eye coordination, memory, problem solving and other skills.

Jackson says music education can help the school district as it works to pull up its accountability rating and promote students’ educational well-being for years to come.