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Teachers and parents warn proposed VAPA cuts could violate Prop 28 and reduce access for 3,000 students
Summary
Multiple teachers, parents and arts educators told the board that proposed reductions to elementary visual and performing arts staffing — from four teachers to 1.6 — would drastically cut access for about 3,000 students and could run afoul of Prop 28’s supplement-not-supplant rule; speakers urged an accounting of Prop 28 carryover funds.
At the public-comment portion of the May 26 meeting dozens of parents and educators urged Petaluma City Schools trustees to reverse proposed reductions to the district’s elementary visual and performing arts (VAPA) staffing. Chris Thomason, a visual arts teacher, said cutting the program would leave "1.5 teachers to bring art to 3,000 students in the district," and described the change as “dismantling” a program that Prop 28 was intended to expand.
Lindsay Larimore, an elementary VAPA teacher, said Prop 28 funding was intended to "add to what existed for the arts" and warned that moving previously funded art staff under the Prop 28 umbrella to backfill other budget gaps could violate the law and trigger audits or repayment. "If these funds are used to patch budget gaps, that undermines voter intent and risks violating state law," she said, citing California Education Code language and state audit procedures.
Several speakers requested a detailed accounting: how much Prop 28 carryover remains, what was allocated previously, who has been paid from those funds, and whether any reallocation would supplant existing arts programming. District staff did not make a direct spending-change announcement during public comment; later in future-business discussion a trustee requested a board agenda item to review Prop 28 carryover, expenditures and remaining balances.
Why it matters: Elementary VAPA access affects thousands of students and is tied to voter‑approved funding rules. If Prop 28 funds are used to replace preexisting arts staffing rather than expand it, the district could face state audit and repayment obligations in addition to community backlash.
What's next: Trustee Pawn asked staff to return with an update on Prop 28 carryover funds and expenditures at a future meeting; the board signaled it would schedule that item.
