ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF PROPOSITION 28

YES ON 28: ENSURE ACCESS TO ARTS AND MUSIC EDUCATION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITHOUT RAISING TAXES

Arts and music education plays a critical role in helping children learn, develop and achieve in school and later in life. With arts and music education, students:

• Do better in math, reading, and other subjects.
• Learn to think creatively and critically.
• Have better attendance, self-confidence and mental health.

But in California's public schools, arts and music programs have often been the first to get cut. So that now, barely 1 in 5 public schools has a full-time arts or music teacher, which means millions of students don’t have an opportunity to participate.

This deprives California students of a well-rounded science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) curriculum—and means it's harder to prepare them for well-paying jobs in California’s economy.

Our kids deserve better.

ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR ARTS AND MUSIC EDUCATION WITHOUT RAISING TAXES

Prop. 28, the Arts and Music in Public Schools measure, dedicates nearly $1 billion a year in additional funding for arts and music education in Pre-K—12 public schools—without raising taxes. Under Prop. 28:

• Every public school in every school district will receive increased funding for arts and music education—so every student benefits.
• Schools serving children in low-income communities are allocated additional needed funding.
• Funding must be spent on arts and music education—on teachers, supplies, arts partnerships, training and materials.

The measure includes funding for traditional arts and music classes like theater, dance, band, painting and drawing, and for contemporary arts like graphic design, computer graphics, and film and video.

Prop. 28 protects existing education funding—and does not raise taxes.

STRICT ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY PROVISIONS

Prop. 28 contains important safeguards to ensure the funds are spent as intended:

• Prohibits the Legislature or school districts from using the funds for other purposes.
• Requires annual audits of the funding.
• Requires schools to publish annual reports on how they spend funds, including the specific programs and how students benefited.

ARTS AND MUSIC EDUCATION IMPROVES MENTAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Research has shown that arts and music education benefit children's mental health and social development. Ensuring all children have access to arts and music education is especially important emerging from the pandemic, which isolated many children without access to social interaction.

HELPS PREPARE STUDENTS FOR GOOD JOBS IN CALIFORNIA'S ECONOMY

California's creative economy employs nearly 3 million people in movies, music, art, animation, TV, theater and more. Ensuring access to arts and music education provides children with critical skills they need to succeed and provides our economy with the well-trained workforce California needs to remain a world leader.

"By investing in arts and music education for our children, we can create the well-rounded, diverse workforce of tomorrow."—Tracy Hernandez, CEO of LA County Business Federation

A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR OUR CHILDREN

Please join teachers, parents, education and child development experts, mental health professionals, entrepreneurs and community leaders across the state and Vote Yes on 28.

VoteYesonProp28.org

Austin Beutner, Chairman

Californians for Arts and Music in Public Schools

E. Toby Boyd, President

California Teachers Association

Carol Green, President

California State PTA

ARGUMENT AGAINST PROPOSITION 28

NO ARGUMENT AGAINST PROPOSITION 28 WAS SUBMITTED.