Listen to this note:
It’s no secret that local public school music education programs have been in need of money for years—most programs do. But now, our arts and music programs have a cash infusion thanks to voters passing California Proposition 28 in 2022, which requires the state to begin a new ongoing program to support arts education in California K-12 public schools.
However, once the money reaches the school district, it is up to each district to decide how it is spent.
Take for example one local school district. Belmont-Redwood Shores School District's (BRSSD) allocates $450,000 for arts and music programs, and 80 percent of that money must be spent on salaries to hire new teachers. Yet even this infusion of money does not guarantee a fix for the inequity that already exists between schools.
In the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District (BRSSD), students at Nesbit and Sandpiper middle schools only have music education during one 45-minute weekly session.
That's a stark contrast to the robust music program at the district's largest middle school, Ralston Middle School, where students receive quality instruction four days a week in addition to multiple concert and field trip opportunities.
However, even with access to Prop 28 money and impassioned speeches from community members at last month's board meeting advocating for equity, no Prop 28 funds were allocated to programs at smaller middle schools, where some of the district's most diverse student populations have inadequate access to grade-appropriate music instruction.
Students should not have to endure a lower quality of education from the school they attend, especially when the means to provide those opportunities are accessible. It is the responsibility of the superintendent and the school district to provide students with equal access to opportunities to study music.
Voters approved Proposition 28 with good intentions, thinking that all students would benefit. However, music and arts education needs more than just money.
We need to pay attention to providing equity in education, ensuring that all students and all populations have access to the same high quality of instruction.
Prop 28 is a good start, but it is now also up to local school boards and communities to pay close attention to how this money is spent and to hold district administrators accountable for serving each and every student equally.
More from the author: Proposition 1: Why your vote matters
