Board approves updated $14.25M arts, music and instructional materials spending plan

The Orange Unified School District Board of Education voted Sept. 11 to approve an updated multi-year spending plan for the Arts, Music and Instructional Materials Block Grant.

Lisa Green, executive director of Curriculum and Instruction, told the board the district's total allocation for the program was $14,254,835 and that $4,334,681.37 had been spent as of June 30, 2025, leaving about $9,920,153.63. The proposed plan directs roughly $4,000,000 toward performance-space upgrades (sound, lighting, structural supports), about $2.7 million toward operational costs including technology, library books and professional development, approximately $1 million toward textbooks (K-8 math adoption as a partial contribution), and site-directed allocations and instrument replacements spread across campuses.

Green described site-level planning and community surveys used to prioritize purchases for visual and performing arts (VAPA) and said the district is coordinating with facilities to standardize equipment and improve long-term sustainability. Trustees asked about site-level decision processes, sustainability for instruments and equipment, and whether the textbook allocation was a full adoption cost (staff said the $1 million is a partial allocation and other funds will contribute).

The board approved the revised spending plan on a motion; vote was 7-0.