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New Haven Unified board approves district plan to spend one-time arts and music instructional-materials grant
Summary
The New Haven Unified board on Oct. 15 approved a district spending plan for the one-time Arts, Music and Instructional Materials (AMIM) block grant, prioritizing textbook adoption and instructional materials; Annette Hellman said the award averages about $642 per ADA and must be encumbered by June 30, 2026.
Annette Hellman, the district’s chief business officer, presented an overview of the one-time Arts, Music and Instructional Materials discretionary block grant (AMIM) from the 2022 Budget Act and asked the board to approve the district plan for how those funds will be used.
Hellman said the state allocated one-time AMIM funds to public agencies using a formula tied to average daily attendance. “Looking at the allocation for New Haven, it amounts to about $642 per ADA,” she said, and noted the district must encumber the money — that is, obligate it in legally binding purchase orders — by June 30, 2026. Hellman said textbook adoption is the district’s greatest immediate need and will receive the bulk of planned spending.
The presentation summarized allowable uses drawn from the statute and explained reporting and encumbrance requirements to avoid the state reclaiming funds. Hellman said some line items and dollar amounts in the draft plan are inclusive of allowable indirect charges and may change as the adoption process progresses.
Trustee Hernandez thanked staff for the work on the plan. When a trustee asked how a community member could review math materials, a staff member in teaching and learning said parents or other community members may schedule a meeting with a school’s principal to inspect adopted curriculum and described current elementary manipulatives, middle- and high-school digital licenses, and a pilot of pre-algebra textbooks.
After discussion, the board moved, seconded and approved the district plan for the AMIM block grant as presented. The board will proceed with textbook adoption and other procurement steps required to obligate the funds and will report to the state per the grant’s conditions when expenditures are complete.
What’s next: staff will continue the adoption and procurement processes described in the plan, obligate the funding by the June 30, 2026 encumbrance deadline, and prepare the required state report after spending is complete.
