U-46 proposes new elementary art and music curricula with combined first-year cost of about $343,700

Celia Banks, director of curriculum and instruction, and Jamie Abagnieraldo, fine-arts coordinator, presented proposed elementary art and music curricula for board consideration Jan. 26. The teams said both proposals aim to replace a 2016 curriculum that lacks common assessments and consistent instructional units.

Banks described the art proposal as aligned to the National Core Arts Standards and said the recommended teacher resource is Explorations in Art (Davis Publications). Administration estimated initial implementation at $178,614.96, which includes one-time textbook and classroom-library purchases and an annual consumable allocation calculated at about $5 per student for roughly 15,000 students (an estimated recurring cost of about $75,000 per year). The district plans teacher professional learning and a first-cycle evaluation based on course assessments and teacher feedback.

Abagnieraldo presented the music proposal, which references the National Core Arts Standards for music and recommends grade-level instructional units, recorder use (fourth grade) and ukulele (fifth grade). The initial music implementation cost was cited as $165,091.76 with recurring consumable and license costs of about $60,000 and $9,657.70 respectively per year. The music rollout includes a similar professional learning and evaluation schedule across the 2026–27 and 2027–28 school years.

Board members asked practical budgeting questions about consumables and whether teachers could purchase additional materials; presenters said the $5-per-student estimate has been sufficient historically but that the district would monitor inflation and adjust allocations if necessary. Both proposals will be considered by the board under the recommended adoption timeline; the teams said resources are intended to provide consistent learning experiences while preserving teacher flexibility.