Excel has a fixed amount of money for a very small school, and 100 students just isn't enough.

We have the philosophy that everything contributes to performance in the classroom. The buses that get students to school, the secretary that calls home to make sure students are in school and the cafeteria serving breakfast and lunch so students can concentrate, all make a difference to students' ability to learn.

All of that is open for discussion.

We're really trying hard not to have any reduction in force. That's our last resort.

That's a lot of money for a school with about 600 students. For half a million dollars, I could do so much.

I loved it. The students were great and well-mannered. They cheered and really enjoyed it. And at the end of the program, I was so thrilled when one of the students came up on stage and said 'I love jazz!' It was thrilling. I loved it.