Credit: AustinLASchools/Twitter
Austin Beutner explains how California is about to become a national leader in arts education.
Credit: AustinLASchools/Twitter
Austin Beutner explains how California is about to become a national leader in arts education.
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On Nov. 8, Californians overwhelmingly passed Proposition 28, which will bring a windfall of arts education funding to California schools. Advocates say the investment is long overdue, as arts education has declined in most districts — particularly those in low-income areas — for decades. While the state requires arts education in grades one to six and a year of arts education in high school, it’s up to districts to decide how to fund and implement it. The result has been an inconsistent patchwork of arts programs that leave many children with little exposure to music, dance, art and other creative forms of expression.
Proposition 28 funds will be distributed according to the Local Control Funding Formula, with districts receiving an additional 1% of their formula funding allotment to spend on the arts. School boards must certify districts’ Prop. 28 budgets annually, post the expenses on the district’s website and submit the information to the state Department of Education, where it will be available to the public.
Schools must spend 80% of the money on teachers and aides, which should help alleviate California’s teacher shortage, with the remainder of the funds earmarked for art supplies and materials.
We talked to former Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner, a chief backer of Proposition 28, about what students, families and schools can expect when the measure goes into effect in 2023.
What, specifically, will Proposition 28 do for California schools?
Prop. 28 will provide about $1 billion each year in funding to California public schools, so all 6 million…