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Board adopts Prop 28 arts report; district says the program now reaches thousands of students
Summary
Trustees unanimously approved Stockton Unified’s 2024–25 Prop 28 annual report, which district staff said added dozens of arts programs and new full-time arts teachers and provided arts experiences to roughly 19,000 students last year. Officials said Prop 28 funds are braided with LCAP dollars to expand access.
Cindy Wowman presented the district’s Arts and Music in Schools (Prop 28) annual report to the Stockton Unified board on Sept. 9 and described rapid growth in arts offerings since Prop 28 funding began.
Wowman said Prop 28 and braided local funding enabled the district to hire new arts teachers and expand programs: the district added a net 33 arts programs since 2023, hired 15 arts teachers in 2024 and planned 11 more for 2025. She told trustees that ‘‘over 19,000 students received an arts experience’’ in 2024–25, and roughly 3,700 students received weekly instruction from a dedicated arts teacher.
The presentation included classroom examples (an elementary visual-art student’s first lessons in line work) and high-school highlights (orchestra programs, with one ensemble slated to perform at Carnegie Hall next April). Wowman also explained that some arts positions are funded through LCAP and some directly through Prop 28, describing the approach as ‘‘braided funding’’ to improve equitable access.
Trustees asked for more communications about where programs are located and how schools can publicize arts activity; staff said they will increase district-facing communications and highlighted partnerships with local organizations such as the Mexican Heritage Center.
After Q&A, the board approved the 2024–25 Prop 28 annual report and the 2025–26 plan by unanimous roll call.
The report and the board’s vote will be filed as the district’s annual Prop 28 accountability submission to meet state constitutional reporting requirements.
