A new proposition on the ballot for the General Election on Nov. 8, 2022 is supposed to provide additional funding for music and art education in K-12 public and charter schools.  

In past years there has been a dramatic decline in enrollment and offered curriculum in music education because of inadequate and unstable funding, according to the ballot initiative “Re-Initiative 21-0036 – Amendment Number One” by Austin Beutner, the Superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District in Section 1 parts C. and D. According to the article “California Proposition 28, Art and Music K-12 Education Funding Initiative (2022)” on Ballotpedia, Proposition 28 would allot a minimum of 1% of the state and local revenues. Spending would increase from $800 million to $100 billion each fiscal year. 

Public policy and administration lecturer Fred Plane said “We funnel a lot [of money] into the standard things like the STEM programs: mathematics, science, English, and history. But there’s not always enough money plugged into those arts and there’s an interest and need for that.”  

In Section 1 part A., Beutner states that studies have found that art and music programs have been linked to increased cognitive development, spatial reasoning, and reading comprehension. They also increased attendance, self-confidence in students, and their motivation to learn.  

Dr. Bre Evans-Santiago, chair and an associate professor of Teacher Education, said that when you intertwine art and music with STEM programs, it provides confidence and helps to improve the growth mindset of students. Combining both areas of these curriculums may also help students focus more in STEM programs as well. 

Savi Hasan, a second-year English major, said that “creative industries are important in modern civilization, art and music programs develop this creativity in children. I think that’s necessary for them to grow up to be fully rounded individuals.”  

Voting “yes” on Proposition 28 will require an annual source of at least 1% of funding for arts and music programs in K-12 public and charter schools. It will also require schools with 500 or more students to use 80% of the funding to employ teachers and the other 20% to train the teachers and buy supplies. Evans-Santiago said that it’s important to find ways to integrate art and music into schools so students can feel good about themselves and motivated to learn.  

The article, “California Proposition 28, Art and Music K-12 Education Funding Initiative (2022),” provides a list of endorsements that support this proposition, including the Superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District Austin Beutner, the former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, the Universal Music Group, the California Teachers Association, the California Dance Education Association, the California Educational Theater Association, and the Los Angeles Unified School District. 

Sir Lucian Grainge, chairman and chief executive officer of the Universal Music Group, said that “Music education supports all education – it fosters reasoning and skills that are the building block for learning other subjects. This measure is critical not only for education and learning but also to mental well-being.”  

Plane said, “It’s a good proposition because there’s always a need for funding for arts and music. Students need to be exposed to all the different types of fields they can go into.”  

Voting “no” on Proposition 28 would oppose the requirement of allocating the minimum 1% of funds for music and arts programs in K-12 public and charter schools. There is not a list of opponents or arguments against Proposition 28 at this time. If there are any who oppose this proposition and want to provide an argument against it, they may send an email to [email protected].  

Evans-Santiago said that those who oppose Proposition 28 might follow this logic, “So often education is short, we are short with resources: funding and money. We [teachers or professors] are always having to beg people to write grants and help us. If that’s the case, I can see people thinking that this funding should go towards something else instead of art.”  

Proposition 28 will be on the ballot for voting in the General Election on Nov. 8, 2022.  

For more information on Proposition 28 and other propositions on the ballot, you can visit https://ballotpedia.org.