California spent nearly $1 billion to boost arts education. Are schools misspending it?

The district applied for a waiver that would allow it flexibility in spending the money. Sanders said the state has received several waiver requests and staff are reviewing them now. For districts like Modoc, Flores suggested the staff look at gaps in the arts offerings – dance or media arts, for example – and use the Prop. 28 funding to hire teachers or partner with local arts groups in those disciplines. He also suggested they check if specific groups of students, such as those who are English learners, are under-enrolled in arts classes and expand programs tailored to their interests. A point of confusion among parents is why some schools within a district may get more Prop. 28 funding than others. Prop. 28 funds are allocated based on enrollment and students’ economic needs, so schools with more low-income students receive more money. Los Angeles Unified, for example, distributed $77 million in Prop. 28 arts funding across more than 1,000 schools, with big variations at school sites. “Due to the diversity of our schools and their respective school-site budgets, Prop. 28 funding may fluctuate at each school from one year to the next,” according to a Los Angeles Unified fact sheet...