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Parents urge Anaheim Elementary to show how Prop 28 arts funds are spent
Summary
Two parents told the board that Prop 28 money is being used to pay existing music-teacher salaries and urged a transparent, equitable plan to expand arts access; the board asked staff to bring a follow-up report on Prop 28 spending at the next meeting.
Two parents told the Anaheim Elementary School District board on May 14 that the district is using Prop 28 funds in ways that undermine the program's intent to expand arts education.
"Stop the shell game. Show us where the money is going. Let's honor the spirit of prop 28 and invest in new," said Crystal Rivas, an incoming PTA president and school-site council member, who said she voted no at her site council because the proposed plan "does not align with the intent of the law." Rivas said Prop 28 should supplement, not supplant, existing music staffing paid through LCAP.
Angela Decker, a parent, said she is hearing that more than half of some music teachers' salaries are being covered with Prop 28 funds and that the district's TOSA visual-arts teachers are each stretched across multiple schools, providing "20 to 40 minutes of art instruction per class per month." She urged the district to provide "the full, meaningful access the community voted for."
The board did not take formal action on specific Prop 28 allocations at the meeting. Board President Juan Gabriel Alvarez asked staff to prepare a report for the next meeting so trustees can "get a clearer picture" of how Prop 28 dollars are being used and whether the district has a plan to expand visual-arts access in addition to music.
Why it matters: Prop 28 is a state law and bond-funded initiative intended to increase access to the arts in public schools. Parents and site councils have a role in plans that allocate those funds; speakers at the meeting argued that current local plans risk shifting existing obligations onto Prop 28 rather than investing in new services.
Next steps: The board requested a Prop 28 spending report at the next meeting to outline allocations, whether funds are supplementing or supplanting, and any equity measures to ensure schools without vocal advocates are not left behind.
