The La Cañada Unified School District will restore four teaching positions — one elementary-level drama instructor and three music teachers — that were scheduled to be eliminated at the end of the school year after sourcing $445,678 in Proposition 28 funds. LCUSD staff also announced that they will hire a district STEAM coordinator with the funds.
Voters in 2022 approved Proposition 28: The Arts and Music in Schools Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act. The measure required the state to establish a new, ongoing program supporting arts instruction in schools beginning in 2023-24.
The funds will be used for music and drama at the three elementary school sites, music and drama supplies for the elementary schools, a STEAM coordinator and related supplies, the La Cañada High School Honor Band program, engineering and robotics, and an AI program called Poieto.
The LCUSD Board of Education unanimously approved the allocation of Prop 28 funds at its March 29 meeting, with the absence of Board member Dan Jeffries.
“LCUSD has created a Proposition 28 plan — the Arts and Music in Schools Expenditure Plan — to meet the needs of its students and staff. Each school, in collaboration with their School Site Council, has discussed and approved their plans,” stated the agenda for the March 29 meeting.
Superintendent Wendy Sinnette explained how Prop 28 funds will be used at the Board of Education on March 29.
A STEAM coordinator will work with kindergarten through 12th grade students to “codify and strengthen” what is already in place for students both during and after school to make the transition from each school level seamless.
Poieto, a company founded by educators, will give students at LCUSD the chance to create art using artificial intelligence. Associate Superintendent of Tech Services Jamie Lewsadder, who presented more background information about Poieto to the Board, added that the program has elements for students to learn about the responsible and ethical ways to use AI.
Before the Board could share its thoughts, three community members voiced their concerns with the school district’s use of Prop 28 funds for STEAM-related programs.
Sugi Sorensen, parent and president of La Cañada Math Parents, said that he is a big supporter of both math and engineering. He said it was made clear to him that Prop 28 funding is intended for arts and music, not math and engineering.
“You’re talking about half of this $450,000 is going to be spent on the STEAM coordinator, supplies and services, and an extra duty stipend for an engineering and robotic sponsor,” said Sorensen. “And it seems to be justified under the logic that the A in STEAM, which stands for art therefore means that anything having to do with arts also applies to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as long as it is labeled as STEAM. This seems to go against what this whole proposition was for.”
Nearly half of the Prop 28 funding, or $221,258 out of $445,678, will be used for both the STEAM coordinator and STEAM supplies. About $6,000 will be allocated for AI.
Board member Joe Radabaugh responded to Sorensen and said that he understand the concerns, but that there can be crossovers created from both art and science or engineering.
“That innovation could be a game changer for our kids as they navigate these different topics,” said Radabaugh. “I think it’s really powerful. So, for us to put them in boxes, not say that there’s some synergies that the kids could benefit from, I don’t agree.”
Sinnette added to the conversation and said that whoever is hired as the STEAM coordinator will get clear direction, “that the expression that we’re trying to build through STEAM is really about the arts instruction.” She also added that this is an annual plan, where dollars can be shifted in the future.
Radabaugh agreed: “What’s beautiful about this is that, now, we have an ongoing funding source.” He added that it’s time to be forward thinking and consider how all aspects can feed off each other.
President of the La Cañada High School Music Parents Association Adam Kline also spoke to the Board in opposition of the idea of using the funds for anything other than music and arts.
“I strongly disagree with the idea that this music and arts funding in schools can be interpreted any other way than meaning music and arts,” said Kline. “This whole idea that technology is blurring doesn’t take into account that there are a lot of kids that can use technology, but that’s not what they came to learn. They want to learn art and music in its most primal form.”
Wayne Page, a parent heavily involved in the music program within the district, also expressed his thoughts on how the funding should be used.
“Prop 28 is addressing something that is systematic in the country, which is the cutting of arts and music,” said Page. “The day that science and math funding is in jeopardy is the day they get rid of arts and music. You know why? Because science and math are never going to go away.”
Board President Josh Epstein reiterated what Radabaugh started with, adding that there could be a lot of opportunity for students to find the intersections of art and technology with a STEAM coordinator.
“I am absolutely thrilled that we are seeing the return, although it was a short-lived disappearance, of music and drama at the elementary schools,” said Epstein. “I also want to point out that one of the things that we’re talking about is the STEAM coordinator, but there’s also funding for the music instruction for our Honor Band at the elementary school, and I think that is also a great addition.”
Sinnette said that Prop 28 funding discussions and allocations will be an annual production and that there will be a lot of ways to approach it.
“I really like the idea,” said Radabaugh. “It’d be interesting to see how we matrix in the visual arts, but I do think we need to be very careful that we don’t just lock this in, and it becomes engineering.”
MORE ON PROP 28
Local education agencies, such as public boards of education or school districts, do not need to apply for Prop 28 funds. Funding is automatically allocated by the California Department of Education to each kindergarten through grade 12 local education agency using methods that include statewide total enrollment and enrollment of economically disadvantaged pupils.
Funding is calculated at the school-site level and allocated to the local education agency, which is required to allocate funds to eligible school sites in the amounts calculated by the California Department of Education.
Local educational agencies with 500 or more students are required to ensure that at least 80% of Prop 28 funds to be expended are used to employ certificated or classified employees to provide arts education instruction.
The remaining funds must be used for training, supplies and materials, and arts educational partnership programs, with no more than 1 percent of funds received to be used for a local education agency’s administrative expense.
“Arts and Music in Schools funding will be estimated each July as part of the Advance Apportionment certification using second prior year data and the current year budget appropriation,” reads the California Department of Education website. “For example, Fiscal Year 2024-25 amounts will be estimated in July 2024 and recalculated in February 2025.”
For more information on Prop 28, visit cde.ca.gov/eo/in/prop28artsandmusicedfunding.asp.
First published in the April 4 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
