Prop. 28 has the support of Dr. Dre and Sylvester Stallone. But what would it do?
Voters searching the state’s official election guide for arguments against Proposition 28 will find a blank page.
This rare occurrence reflects the nearly universal support for the measure, which would guarantee minimum funding for arts and music education in all k-12 public schools. Perhaps most importantly, for voters, the initiative would do so without creating new taxes.
Former Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner, who is spearheading the campaign, called the measure the “feel-good story of 2022.” He cited recent data from the California Department of Education showing that only one in five public schools have a full-time teacher for traditional arts or music programs. That’s despite California law requiring that students receive some degree of instruction in these subjects.
“Most of the time, ballot initiatives are sort of Byzantine and complex,” Beutner said. “This is actually pretty simple. It’s about providing arts and music education for children at school. That’s what it says it does and that’s what it does.”
How would Prop. 28 work?
It would allocate a portion of the state’s general fund equal to 1% of Proposition 98, the 1988 initiative that established a minimum level of funding for public education.
It also requires schools to report how the money is used and the specific program funded. At least 90% of the allocation must directly fund arts or music instruction, and only 1% can go to administrative costs.
As for districts, 70% of the allocation will be based on enrollment in the previous fiscal year. The remaining 30% will be tied to the number of students from lower-income households. Districts must spend 80% of the money to employ teachers and 20% on training and supplies.
Prop. 28 would likely increase state education spending by $800 million to $1 billion per year, beginning in 2023, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Supporters expect the measure to result in an additional 15,000 arts and music teachers, which would double the current numbers.
Who is supporting Prop. 28?
Supporters include Dr. Dre, Earth Wind & Fire, Anderson .Paak, Sylvester Stallone and an ever-growing list of other Hollywood stars and musicians. It’s also backed by the California Teachers Association, California State PTA, California Music Educators Association and several labor organizations.
Currently, financial support for the measure is close to $10 million. Major donors include Beutner, Fender Musical Instruments Corp and Los Angeles Clippers Owner Steve Ballmer.
Who is against Prop 28?
There is no organized opposition.
But the initiative could eventually come at the expense of other state-funded programs since money would be drawn without a new revenue source. Gov. Gavin Newsom has recently emphasized budgetary discipline, particularly spending that is ongoing.
This story was originally published September 30, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
