VOTER GUIDE
NO ENDORSEMENT ON PROP 28
Arts & Ed Funding In Public Schools
This measure would require the state to set aside money from the general fund (meaning it doesn’t raise or create new taxes) for arts in public schools. That sounds great, and the measure has a lot of support. But this LA Times editorial makes some good points, like the fact that there are no accountability measures to ensure the money is actually spent on the arts, and that its dependence on the general fund being healthy is tenuous. Don’t get us wrong: the extra money to schools would be great. But the ambiguity of those tax dollars gives us reason to pause, and the fact that other more general areas of public education are lacking (we’re thinking special ed, facilities upgrades, food, social and emotional health, and aftercare) makes us think that the money could be better spent elsewhere. Overall, we just have too many questions about Prop 28 to endorse it.
The Context
Sponsored by former Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent Austin Beutner, this measure would require the state to set aside a share of its revenue (likely between $800 million to $1 billion per year) for arts and education classes. The money would be disproportionately reserved for schools with many low-income students to hire new arts staff. This measure does not raise taxes, nor is it a new tax—rather, it uses money from the state’s general fund. In 1988, Prop 98 determined how much of the general fund would go to teachers and public schools annually based on a complicated formula. Prop 28 would pull from that part of the general fund.
Specifically, this measure would:
Require an annual source of funding for K-12 public schools for arts and music education equal to, at minimum, one percent of the total state and local revenues that local education agencies receive under Proposition 98;
Distribute a portion of the additional funding based on a local education agency's share of economically disadvantaged students; and
Require schools with 500 or more students to use 80 percent of the funding for employing teachers and 20 percent to training and materials.
The Money
This proposition is dealing with a vast sum of money: Prop. 98 generated $110.199 billion for 2021-22 and $110.334 billion for 2022-23.
Support & Opposition
This measure has a pretty sizable supporter base that includes:
Former Officials
Superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District Austin Beutner
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan (D)
Corporations
Universal Music Group
Unions
California Teachers Association
Organizations
California Dance Education Association
California Educational Theater Association
Los Angeles Unified School District
Individuals
Steven Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft
Armalyn De La O, President, California Music Educators Association
Antonia Hernández, President and CEO, California Community Foundation
Michael Lawson, President and CEO, Los Angeles Urban League
Andy Mooney, CEO, Fender Musical Instruments Corp
Ravi Rajan, President, California Institute of the Arts
One PAC, Californians for Arts and Music Education in Public Schools, was registered to support the ballot initiative. The committee had over $8 million in expenditures.
Paid for by TogetherSF Action. Not authorized by any candidate or a committee controlled by a candidate. Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.
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