California Voters Overwhelmingly Approve Proposition 28 and Prioritize Arts Education for All Students; Create CA Calls for Equity and Accountability in its Implementation

California – Create CA, California’s statewide arts education advocacy organization is thrilled that voters chose to prioritize higher student attendance, lower dropout rates, better academic performance, whole student well-being, and support of California’s creative economy by saying Yes on Prop 28!

Create CA and our coalition partners look forward to playing an active role to ensure the effective implementation of this important measure. New research has demonstrated the urgency of Prop 28; 89% of public schools are not meeting California’s state-mandated Education Code to provide art, music, theatre, and dance to all students. Limited funding has largely dictated the current state of arts education. It is crucial that the funding provided by the passing of Prop 28 is equitably distributed, reaching the schools and communities that have the fewest arts programs currently. 

Create CA thanks Austin Beutner, the California Teachers Association, Steven Ballmer, Fender Musical Instruments Corp, Monica Rosenthal and the broad coalition of concerned citizens that put Prop 28 on the ballot to rectify years of underfunding of arts education in public schools. We also look forward to working with the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and the California Department of Education to move with urgency to adopt and disseminate the regulations that will inform the use of these funds. The use of the new funds must be documented and shared with the public to track progress and ensure accountability. California has taken a big step in ensuring we remain the creative capital of the world.