In 2022, voters approved Proposition 28, which sets aside roughly $1 billion dollars per year to fund the expansion of visual arts, music, dance and theater in California’s TK-12 public schools. Since then, schools have hired thousands of new arts educators. However, some advocates say the promise of Prop. 28 remains unfulfilled as schools have withheld spending their funds to expand the arts.
Prop. 28 Arts and Music funding total for 2023–24 through 2026–27, with $1.06 billion allocated for 2026–27.
Schools receive roughly $1 billion each year from Prop. 28, or about 1% of revenue from Prop. 98, the law that guarantees an annual minimum amount of funding for K-12 public schools and community colleges. Strong revenue has boosted state funding in recent years, outweighing the effects of California’s declining enrollment. However, since Prop. 28 funding is based on student counts, if enrollment keeps falling it will likely lead to less money for arts education, advocates say.
Many school districts have struggled to spend their Prop. 28 funds due to what they say are ambiguous rules around spending. Assembly Bill 2440, authored by Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance, seeks to help districts spend more by allowing them to pool Prop. 28 funds between schools and replace lost one-time funds for the arts.
Number of full-time equivalent art teachers in California public schools funded by Prop. 28 funds in 2024-25, including 4,552 certified and 1,340 classified, according to Create CA, an arts education advocacy organization.
Schools are required to spend 80% of their Prop. 28 funds on certificated or classified employees. That allows schools to hire noncredentialed teachers while colleges and universities work to expand their credentialing programs to meet hiring demand.
Districts that are unable to meet the 80% hiring requirement can seek a waiver from the California Department of Education, or CDE. AB 2440 would allow districts to spend those funds on curriculum, instructional materials and professional development aligned with California’s arts standards.
largest Prop. 28 allocation in 2026–27, awarded to Los Angeles Unified. That amount is more than quadruple what San Diego Unified ($16.9 million) and Fresno Unified ($14.1 million) received, according to a CreateCA analysis of school districts.
Prop. 28 funding per school district aligns roughly with the size of student enrollment. Schools with higher concentrations of low-income students receive more money to spend per student.
Los Angeles Unified, the largest school district in California, has added roughly 475 new arts educators from about $74.6 million in Prop. 28 funds. In 2025, former L.A. Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner, who authored and largely funded the campaign for Prop. 28, sued LAUSD for allegedly diverting millions in Prop. 28 funding to pay for existing teacher salaries instead of new hires. The case is pending in court.
Data source: California Department of Education and Create CA.
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This story was originally published by EdSource.