The Overview

If your child attends a California K–12 public school, new rules now govern how the school spends its arts and music funding. California's Arts and Music in Schools — Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act amendments, AB 2440, became law when Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed it Sept. 27. School districts had struggled with how to implement the original arts-funding initiative, with confusion over spending rules complicating its rollout, according to EdSource. Key certification requirements take effect with the 2027–28 fiscal year. ​

What the Law Does

The law adds curriculum, instructional materials, and professional development to the definition of an arts education program under Proposition 28, the voter-approved initiative. It requires all such programs to be consistent with the California Arts Standards for Public Schools, the California Arts Education Framework, or the California Preschool/Transitional Kindergarten Learning Foundations, as applicable. Districts may now pool their Proposition 28 funds across schools. Each school's spending must stay proportional to its individual allocation and follow the expenditure plan set by the school's principal.

Local educational agencies must submit and post an annual governing board-approved report on program expenditures by Sept. 30. Each schoolsite must post its expenditure plan and any granted waivers on its website. An agency may instead post that information on the agency's own website. Starting in the 2027–28 fiscal year, local educational agencies must certify that all Proposition 28 provisions have been implemented at each schoolsite. The law also deletes the requirement that annual audits determine whether Proposition 28 funds were spent under certain of those provisions.

Legislative Status

Asm. Al Muratsuchi (D-CA-66) authored the bill, with Ward as principal coauthor. Every recorded vote was unanimous: the Assembly passed it 74-0 on May 21, the Senate passed it 39-0 on Aug. 31, and the Assembly concurred in Senate amendments 79-0 the same day.

Austin Beutner, the former Los Angeles Unified superintendent who authored Proposition 28, warned in August that the bill would "gut" the initiative and threatened a legal challenge, according to EdSource. Thirteen days later, EdSource reported he had agreed to support a compromise version.

Muratsuchi wrote on Facebook that his bill, AB 2440, "will help provide arts and music education for every child throughout the state, funded by Proposition 28." Create CA, an arts-education advocacy group, said in an Oct. 1 statement that it believes AB 2440 "strengthens Prop 28 by providing clearer, more consistent rules while protecting its fundamental promise: more arts education for all California students."

---

AllCiv makes it easy to stay politically informed and involved.

---

Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article