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Proposition 28—Arts and Music in Schools Funding

The Arts and Music in Schools (AMS) initiative provides additional funding for arts education in California public schools.

On November 8, 2022, California voters approved Proposition 28: The Arts and Music in Schools (AMS) Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act. The measure required the state to establish a new, ongoing program supporting arts instruction in schools beginning in 2023–24.

The legislation allocates 1 percent of the kindergarten through grade twelve (K–12) portion of the Proposition 98 funding guarantee provided in the prior fiscal year, excluding funding appropriated for the AMS education program. Local educational agencies (LEAs) with 500 or more students are required to ensure that at least 80 percent of AMS funds to be expended are used to employ certificated or classified employees to provide arts education program instruction. The remaining funds must be used for training, supplies and materials, and arts educational partnership programs, with no more than 1 percent of funds received to be used for an LEA’s administrative expenses. The full text of the statute is available here: Chapter 5.1 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the California Education Code External link opens in new window or tab. (EC) Section 8820 et seq.

Funding and Audit

Funding

Funding details are available on the California Department of Education (CDE) Principal Apportionment Section for AMS web page.

Audit

Annual audits of K-12 local educational agencies (LEAs) conducted in accordance with Education Code (EC) Section 41020 shall include funds received and distributed by the LEA pursuant to Proposition 28—The Arts and Music in Schools (AMS) Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act (EC Section 8820) and shall include a determination of whether the funds were expended pursuant to statutory requirements.

For general information on the LEA annual audit process, please view Local Educational Agency Annual Audits - Auditing (CA Dept of Education).

For specific audit information regarding this program, the Proposition 28 Arts and Music in Schools – Financial Reporting and Audit Resources webpage provides information about the conditions of receipt of AMS funds, the expenditure period, financial reporting, and the annual audit. It also includes sample calculations to determine if an LEA is in compliance with specific sections of statute.

Additionally, this web page includes a link to the Education Audit Appeals Panel Annual Audit Guide External link opens in new window or tab. and an Excel workbook titled Arts and Music in Schools Audit Compliance Worksheets (XLSX), which was developed to assist LEAs in demonstrating compliance with some of the audit requirements, including supplement not supplant.

LEA Web Portal and Reports

AMS Web Portal

LEAs can access the AMS web portal to submit written waiver requests, reports, and certifications associated with the Proposition 28: The Arts and Music in Schools Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act.

AMS Portal Technical Assistance Videos

Local Educational Agency Annual Reports

As per EC Section 8820(g)(4), the LEA and the Department internet websites will post the annual board- or body-approved report that details the type of arts education programs funded by the program, the number of full-time equivalent teachers, classified personnel, and teaching aides, the number of pupils served, and the number of school sites providing arts education programs with those funds. The attachment below serves as a master file of the LEA submissions to the California Department of Education (CDE) and will be updated as necessary.

Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Below is a link to the list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to the Proposition 28—Arts and Music Education Funding Program. The FAQs are organized into three sections: Funding Calculations and Apportionment of Funds, Use of Arts and Music (AMS) Funds, and Reporting, Annual Audits, and Waivers. The frequently asked questions webpage is updated as additional information becomes available.

Additional CDE Resources

  • California Arts Standards for Public Schools, Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve (PDF)
    The 2019 California Arts Standards for Public Schools, Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve (Arts Standards) update the four arts disciplines—dance, music, theatre, and visual arts—and include new standards for media arts as a discrete discipline. Media arts includes diverse categories such as digital imaging, animation, sound production, web design, virtual reality, and interactive design, along with new and emerging forms. The Arts Standards reflect the fundamental belief that every child should have equitable access to high-quality, standards-based arts education to thrive and participate in modern society.
  • California Arts Education Framework for Public Schools, Transitional Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve(PDF)
    The California Arts Education Framework for Public Schools, Transitional Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve (Arts Education Framework) provides updated guidance for educators and others interested in arts education to implement the Arts Standards. Together, the Arts Standards and the Arts Education Framework support students in developing artistic literacy through authentic processes that artists engage in.

  • Year-at-a-Glance(PDF)
    This document provides dates related to the AMS funding report deadlines and AMS Portal submission windows for required reporting.

The three quick reference guides below include essential information for parents and guardians, educators and arts professionals, and local educational agencies and governing boards.

External Resources

A range of organizations in California have developed guidance for implementing the AMS at the local level. Select resources are listed below.

Related Content

Webinars

Webinar 1 (February 1, 2024)

On February 1, 2024, the California Department of Education (CDE) hosted a webinar centered on how to expand arts education for California students using Arts and Music in Schools (AMS) funds. The webinar featured Prop 28 author Austin Beutner; California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond; 2023 California Teacher of the Year Catherine Borek; as well as representatives from the CDE, California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, San Diego County Office of Education, and Create California to discuss how to best leverage funding.

Webinar 2 (March 14, 2024)

On March 14, 2024, the CDE hosted the second webinar in the Proposition 28/Arts and Music in Schools series. The webinar provided technical assistance for LEAs by explaining the formulas behind the 2023–24 funding allocation, demonstrating a walk-through of the written waiver submission process, detailing the adopted audit guide procedures, and summarizing all reporting and certification obligations.

Webinar 3 (May 31, 2024)

The third webinar of the AMS series spotlights two LEAs, Inglewood Unified School District and Elk Grove Unified School District, that shared on their first year of implementation. Additional topics covered in the session include an update on credentialing pathways and a review of key dates and content for required reporting. In addition to the full recording below, you will find the resources the LEAs discussed in their snapshot presentations.

Listserv and Contacts

Listserv

The purpose of the California Department of Education Proposition 28 contacts listserv is to provide LEAs and other interested parties important information, such as notifications regarding the release of additional program information related to the AMS program.

To Subscribe:

If you would like to subscribe to the Proposition 28 listserv, send a blank message to
join-prop28@mlist.cde.ca.gov.

To Unsubscribe:

If you would like to unsubscribe from the Proposition 28 listserv, send a blank message to
unsubscribe-prop28@mlist.cde.ca.gov.

Contacts

  • Program Questions: Contact the Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division by email at Prop28@cde.ca.gov.
  • Fiscal Questions: Contact the School Fiscal Services Division, Principal Apportionment Section, by email at Prop28@cde.ca.gov.
Questions:   Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division | Prop28@cde.ca.gov | 916-319-0881
Last Reviewed: Monday, February 03, 2025
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