Gee, I dunno, it seems like at every high school football game there is a marching band made up with quite a few students who are obviously interested in music. I never saw a marching painting or poetry squad at half time. Nor would there ever be enough students with enough talent or interest to create one a fraction of its size.
If we are going to discuss ‘vulnerability’ in school, I think I would be more worried about the fundamentals today. Ya know, reading, writing, and arithmetic. That concerns me more than the arts.