Brea Olinda board reviews Prop 28 plan, endorses staff to develop site expenditure plans

The Brea Olinda Unified School District board on Monday reviewed a staff plan for spending Proposition 28 arts-and-music funds and signaled support for staff to proceed with site consultations and annual expenditure planning. District presenters outlined legal spending rules, site allocations and implementation challenges as the board weighed priorities for expanding music and visual-arts offerings.

Phil, an Ed Services presenter, summarized Prop 28 requirements and reporting obligations and said the state program generally directs districts to spend at least 80% of Prop 28 money on personnel and up to 20% on instructional materials, professional development and related items. "Local education agencies, school districts need to spend at least 80% of those funds on personnel to supplement the arts and music instruction programs in the district," Phil said, noting annual site expenditure plans, board‑approved reports and eventual audits will be required.

Staff showed a chart of prior-year allocations and carryover amounts and gave site examples: Phil said Brea Olinda High School has "just a little over $465,000" allocated under the program that must be subject to the 80/20 guideline. District staff also noted the program is categorical: allocations to sites were determined by the state's funding model based on enrollment and unduplicated pupil percentages, not by local preference.

Trustees and staff discussed practical tradeoffs. Board members asked whether principals would have meaningful input on site spending and whether expanding music into grades K–3 would require new hires; Phil said sites will be consulted and that adding elementary music typically requires hiring additional instructors. Trustees also raised the common district question of whether Prop 28 funds may be used to assume programs currently financed by PTOs or boosters. Staff cautioned that state guidance on supplanting is still vague and that a waiver exists to request flexibility in the 80/20 split but that approval is not guaranteed.

Board members and staff listed likely costs beyond personnel, including instrument replacement, storage and program infrastructure such as sound systems, set construction and classroom cameras. Phil offered several cost examples cited during the presentation: the district spent about $30,000 on instruments last year; choir budgets were described in the range of $80,000–$100,000 annually; junior-high show-choir and band costs were given as roughly $8,000–$10,000 and $15,000–$20,000, respectively.

Trustees proposed community outreach ideas — displaying student art in local businesses, participating in county showcases such as the Sawdust Festival and creating districtwide pathways between elementary and secondary arts programs. A student speaker suggested a literary magazine (the proposed "Inkwell") as an example of a supplemental program that could be supported with Prop 28 funds.

Staff urged a focus on equity, sustainability and reporting: Phil said staff will return with recommendations and will meet principals and educational partners at each site to develop annual school-site expenditure plans required by the state. Chair asked each trustee for a response; trustees present voiced assent to staff moving forward with the recommended direction.

The meeting also approved an Education Services overnight field trip for the First Robotics "Cheesy Champs" competition and adopted the agenda by voice vote earlier in the session. The board adjourned the public portion to closed session after the Prop 28 discussion.

Looking ahead, staff will consult principals and site educational partners to finalize school-site expenditure plans, prepare the board‑approved annual report that must be submitted to the California Department of Education, and present a recommended allocation approach that complies with Prop 28's spending and reporting requirements.