Prop. 28 funds can support coding, too
March 18, 2024
The following information was provided by the nonprofit Code.org.
On Nov. 8, 2022, California voters approved Proposition 28: The Arts and Music in Schools (AMS) Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act. The measure requires the state to establish a new, ongoing program supporting arts instruction in schools beginning in 2023–24.
The act defines “arts education program” broadly, and notably, the definition includes computer coding. The full definition is:
“Arts education program” includes, but is not limited to, instruction and training, supplies, materials, and arts educational partnership programs, for instruction in: dance, media arts, music, theatre, and visual arts, including folk art, painting, sculpture, photography, and craft arts, creative expressions, including graphic arts and design, computer coding, animation, music composition and ensembles, and script writing, costume design, film, and video.
Each school can determine which program or programs it will offer. School administrators — in collaboration with teachers, families and students — should together make the choice that best serves students in their local community.
How much funding is available?
Approximately $938 million has been appropriated in the Budget Act for the AMS program for the 2023–24 fiscal year. In all, LEAs will receive an additional 1 percent of their funding allotment to spend on the arts.
Prop. 28 funds are distributed according to enrollment, with 70 percent based on overall enrollment and 30 percent based on Title 1 enrollment. Funding is distributed to school districts, county office of education, charter schools, and state special schools. Local education agencies do not need to apply for AMS funds. Funding will be automatically distributed by the California Department of Education to each K–12 LEA, which is then required to allocate funds to eligible schools in the amounts calculated by the CDE. AMS funds will be included in an LEA’s monthly Principal Apportionment payment beginning with the 2023-24 First Principal Apportionment (February 2024).
Importantly, schools can pool their AMS funds and school districts can facilitate inter-school programs.
School boards must certify districts’ Prop. 28 budgets annually, post the expenses on the district’s website, and submit the information to the state Department of Education, where it will be available to the public.
The 10 highest LEA allocations across CA are:
Los Angeles Unified — $71,039,653
San Diego Unified — $14,774,818
Fresno Unified — $12,890,905
Long Beach Unified — $10,149,433
Elk Grove Unified — $8,939,349
Corona-Norco Unified — $8,486,321
San Bernardino City Unified — $8,477,247
San Francisco Unified — $7,564,898
Kern High — $7,185,847
Santa Ana Unified — $6,850,230
Restrictions and considerations
All funds must be used to provide arts education programs, which include coding. LEAs with more than 500 pupils must spend at least 80 percent of the funds to employ certificated or classified employees to provide instruction and the remaining funds for training supplies, curriculum, professional learning, materials and arts educational partnership programs.
No more than 1 percent of funds received may be used for an LEA’s administrative expenses, including indirect costs, to implement this program.
FYI
About Code.org
Code.org provides a complete, free, open-source computer science curriculum for grades K-12.
Its professional learning for Sacramento County districts is delivered through Sacramento County Office of Education and consistently gets high ratings from teachers.
A $15 million Educator Workforce Investment Grant administered by SCOE is available to fund computer science professional development for California public school teachers.
The Code.org program has been proven effective in major urban school districts such as Los Angeles Unified as well as small rural districts in Iowa. It is the leading K-12 CS curriculum in the U.S.
Go to code.org/districts for more information on curriculum.
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