Title
Annual Report of the Los Angeles Unified School District Proposition 28: The Arts and Music in Schools Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act
Division of Instruction
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Brief Description:
description
(Annual Report of the Los Angeles Unified School District Proposition 28: The Arts and Music in Schools Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act) The Proposition 28: Arts and Music in Schools Funding Annual Report is a compliance requirement for each Local Education Agency (LEA) that provides narrative and quantitative details relevant to visual and performing arts base funding and Prop 28 funding, categorical state funds, which serve to supplement visual and performing arts instruction.
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Recommendation
Action Proposed:
Approve the 2025-2026 Proposition 28: Arts and Music in Schools Annual Report (Attachment).
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Body
Background:
On November 8, 2022 California voters approved Proposition 28: The Arts and Music in Schools (AMS) Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act. The measure required the State to establish a new, ongoing program supporting arts instruction in schools beginning in the 2023-24 school year. The funding is allocated to school sites based on student enrollment and, as authorized by the ballot initiative, school sites have three fiscal years to spend each school year’s allocation of funds they receive.
The ballot initiative allocates one percent of kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) portion of the Proposition 98 funding guarantee provided in the prior fiscal year, excluding funding appropriated for the AMS education program. Local educational agencies (LEAs) with 500 or more students are required to ensure that at least 80 percent of AMS funds are used to employ certificated or classified employees to provide arts education program instruction. In LAUSD, instruction is provided only by certificated personnel. The remaining funds must be used for training, supplies and materials and arts educational partnership programs, with no more than one percent of funds received to be used for an LEA’s administrative expenses.
One of the conditions to receive Proposition 28 funds is that “a local educational agency shall annually submit an annual board- or body- approved report in a manner determined by the Superintendent, that shall be posted on the local educational agency and department’s internet websites and that details the type of arts education programs funded by the program, the number of full-time equivalent teachers, classified personnel, teaching aides, the number of pupils served, and the number of school sites providing arts education programs with those funds.”
Los Angeles Unified’s total Arts budget was $260.9 million in 2025-2026. Proposition 28 funds are allocated to all LAUSD schools serving K-12 students. In the 2025-2026 school year, these funds were allocated to fund approximately 369.04 teachers, 40.20 teacher assistants, and 19.28 classified positions (excluding affiliated charter staffing). Note that the Prop 28 Report is required to report these figures and be submitted separately for the Affiliated Charters as distinct LEAs. When excluding affiliated charters, Proposition 28 provided $75 million in new revenues for school investments in Arts Education at Los Angeles Unified School District.
Proposition 28 stipulates that funds be used to increase funding of arts education programs within school districts. While this may differ school-to-school, the law assesses the overall expenditures and investments at the District level.
Expected Outcomes:
Increased Proposition 28 funding will result in expanded student access to dance, music, theatre, visual arts and media arts/film instruction during the school day. Additionally, the maximum 20 percent of Prop 28 allocation will benefit students with additional arts services, instructional materials, and resources.
Board Options and Consequences:
If the Board of Education does not approve this annual report, Proposition 28 funds may be delayed or withheld for the 26-27 school year.
Policy Implications:
None.
Budget Impact:
For the 2025-2026 school year, when excluding its Affiliated Charters, Los Angeles Unified received approximately $75.0 million in new Proposition 28 funding, in addition to the carryover from the prior entitlements. Please note that the fiscal year 2026 entitlement was finalized in June. The annual state budget appropriation is subject to change year to year, depending on the overall Proposition 98 funds available each fiscal year.
Student Impact:
By providing additional funds to support arts education, the District anticipates increased student achievement outcomes and enhanced social emotional development.
Equity Impact:
|
Component |
Score |
Score Rationale |
|
Recognition |
4 |
Proposition 28 actively recognizes and specifies historical inequities to correct by providing additional funding for arts and music education in all K-12 public schools and allocates a greater proportion of the funds to schools serving more economically disadvantaged students. |
|
Resource Prioritization |
3 |
Proposition 28 prioritizes resources based on student need by allocating a greater portion of funds to schools serving more economically disadvantaged students. |
|
Results |
4 |
Proposition 28 may result in a narrowing of the opportunity gaps and/or achievement gaps for students by providing greater access to arts and music education and program through increased funding targeted to provide programming to economically disadvantaged students. |
|
TOTAL |
11 |
|
Issues and Analysis:
For the 25-26 SY, $260.9 million was allocated for the arts, inclusive of the Proposition 28 funding to both district and affiliated charter schools. Of that $133.2 million came from Prop 28 funds inclusive of prior year entitlements. When excluding affiliated charters, Los Angeles Unified received $75.0 million in new Proposition 28 funding.
Below is a table showing the number of teachers (FTE) funded with Arts funding at district and affiliated charter schools for the 24-25 SY and 25-26 SY.
|
|
24-25 SY FTE |
25-26 SY FTE |
|
Non-Prop 28 Funded Arts Teachers |
252.0 |
257.6 |
|
Prop 28 Funded Arts Teachers |
395.6 |
398.7 |
|
Total |
647.6 |
656.3 |
Attachments:
Attachment A - Completed Proposition 28: Arts and Music in Schools Funding Annual Report
Submitted:
09/02/26