“We are delighted the CA 22-23 Budget package includes new investments in arts and culture for vital programs such as lifting up community cultural districts and arts installations in parks. We also celebrate the $120 million investment in thirty one district across the state. We are however disappointed that the $307 Billion budget does not include specific investments in laws such as SB 628 (Allen) that mandate that creative workforce development is a state priority. Between 2019 and 2020 California’s Creative industries lost 100,000 jobs. It is imperative we invest in programs to support earn and learn opportunities for this essential workforce to California. We look forward to working with the Newsom Administration and California Legislature to ensure California maintains its position as the leading creative state by investing in building an equitable workforce pipeline for thriving wage jobs in the creative industry. Artists, culture bearers and creative workers are at the heart of every community. It is time we value and support their contributions to the health and vitality of the golden state.”

Julie Baker, CEO, Californians for the Arts/California Arts Advocates

Signed 22-23 BUDGET BILL: Click here

Here are the highlights for arts and culture:

• $30 million for CA cultural districts program (SB 154) including 1% for admin to CAC (SB 178)
• $25 million for the California Cultural and Art Installations in the Parks Program through Parks and Recreation

Trailer bill for the Venues, Cultural Institutions clean up (click here):

• $20 million (or whatever was remaining from the original $50m) to SBA for the cultural institutions grant program including opportunity for applicants to re-apply if funds remain
• $15 million more to venues grant to include movie theaters and also clean up language so more organizations that have already applied will be eligible
• $250 million to to fund supplemental paid sick leave relief grants for small businesses and nonprofits.
• $20 million Rehabilitative Investment Grants for Healing and Transformation (RIGHT) Grant to enhance the capacity of community based, nonprofit organizations to provide in-prison programming in Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation prisons

Member/district asks: To be allocated by the California Arts Council as follows:
(1) $2,000,000 for the Warner Center Transportation Technology Infrastructure & Innovation Zone (WCTTIIZ).
(2) $1,000,000 for the Building 178 Performing Arts Center.
(3) $7,000,000 to the City of Fresno for the Fresno Arts and Facilities to support and expand the cultural arts and their associated facilities in the City of Fresno, supporting the city in preservation, operation, and maintenance costs for facilities such as Arte Americas.
(4) $7,000,000 to the Inner City Youth Orchestra for capital costs for the rehearsal and administrative headquarters.
(5) $3,000,000 to County of Merced for the construction of the Dos Palos Library.
(6) $400,000 to the Mid Valley YMCA for a New Youth Institute of Media Arts.
(7) $800,000 to Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural for Arts-based community wellness programming.
(8) $5,000,000 to the City of San Diego for the restoration of the Villa Montezuma.
(9) $8,000,000 to the City of Guadalupe and Housing Authority of Santa Barbara County (HASBARCO) for the renovation of the historical Royal Theatre and construction of community services center.
(10) $5,000,000 to the City of Santa Rosa for building a permanent library for Roseland, an extremely disadvantaged community within Santa Rosa.
(11) $2,100,000 to the Studio T Arts & Entertainment for equipment purchases.
(12) $2,500,000 to the National Animation Museum (nonprofit) for museum development.
(13) $3,000,000 to the City of Azusa for the relocation and preservation of the Old Schoolhouse.
(14) $5,500,000 to the City and County of San Francisco for the LGBTQ Museum.
(15) $500,000 to the City and County of San Francisco for the Tenderloin Museum.
(16) $2,100,000 to the California Academy of Science to support the Thriving California Environmental Learning Plan.
(17) $3,000,000 to the County of Stanislaus for the Bonita Pool Project and Leroy F. Fitzsimmons Memorial Park.
(18) $1,300,000 for the San Diego Natural History Museum for elevators replacement, roof replacement, collections storage restoration, coil system, and building security improvements.
(19) $800,000 for the Children’s Creativity Museum.
(20) $3,000,000 to the City of Los Angeles for building El Museo de Arte Chicano en Los Angeles (Museum of Chicano Art in Los Angeles) in the heart of Boyle Heights.
(21) $3,200,000 to the Historical Society of Pomona Valley to repair the historic Pomona Ebell Museum.
(22) $1,500,000 to the City of San Diego for the San Carlos Library Phase 1 funding.
(23) $20,000,000 to the City of San Diego for the Oak Park Library construction.
(24) $5,000,000 to the City of Chula Vista for the Land and entitlement costs for new library.
(25) $4,500,000 to the City of San Diego for the Ocean Beach Library expansion.
(26) $1,000,000 to the City of San Diego for the Marston House restoration and repair work.
(27) $500,000 to the City of San Diego for the Mountainview Sports Courts tennis court renovation.
(28) $200,000 to the Ramona Town Hall Association for the Historical Site Redevelopment.
(29) $5,000,000 to the California Science Center Foundation for the Air and Space Center.
(30) $10,500,000 for the Pomona Performing Arts Centers.
(31) $10,000,000 to the City of Santa Monica for the City Yards Modernization.

Arts Education: SB181 Education

This bill would appropriate $3,560,885,000 from the General Fund to the State Department of Education to establish the Arts, Music, and Instructional Materials Discretionary Block Grant, for allocation to county offices of education, school districts, charter schools, and the state special schools, in accordance with a formula based on a per-pupil basis, as provided. The bill would authorize funds to be used to obtain standards-aligned professional development and acquire instructional materials in specified subject areas, to develop diverse book collections and obtain culturally relevant texts, and for operational costs, as provided.
SEC. 134. (a) For the 2022–23 fiscal year, the sum of three billion five hundred sixty million eight hundred eighty-five thousand dollars ($3,560,885,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the State Department of Education to establish the Arts, Music, and Instructional Materials Discretionary Block Grant, for allocation to county offices of education, school districts, charter schools, and the state special schools to:
(1) Obtain standards-aligned professional development and acquire instructional materials, in the following subject areas:
(A) Visual and performing arts.
(B) World languages.
(C) Mathematics.
(D) Science.
(E) English language arts, including early literacy.
(F) Ethnic studies.
(G) Financial literacy, including the content specified in Section 51284.5 of the Education Code.
(H) Media literacy.
(I) Computer science.
(2) Obtain instructional materials and professional development aligned to best practices for improving school climate, including training on deescalation and restorative justice strategies, digital literacy, physical education, and learning through play.
(3) Develop diverse book collections and obtain culturally relevant texts, including leveled texts, in both English and pupils’ home languages, to support pupils’ independent reading. It is the intent of the Legislature that these book collections and culturally relevant texts be used to provide support for pupils through the establishment of site-based school and classroom libraries that are culturally relevant to pupils’ home and community experiences and be available in English, pupils’ home language, or a combination of more than one language.
(4) Operational costs, including but not limited, to retirement and health care cost increases.
(5) As related to the COVID-19 pandemic, acquire personal protective equipment, masks, cleaning supplies, COVID-19 tests, ventilation upgrades, and other similar expenditures, if they are necessary to keep pupils and staff safe from COVID-19 and schools open for in-person instruction.
(b) The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall apportion funds to county offices of education, school districts, charter schools, and the state special schools on a formula based on a per-pupil basis, as those numbers were reported at for the second principal apportionment for the 2021–22 fiscal year.
(c) Funding appropriated pursuant to this section shall be available for encumbrance through the 2025–26 fiscal year. Local educational agencies are encouraged, but not required, to proportionally use resources received pursuant to this section for the purposes noted in paragraphs (1) to (5), inclusive, of subdivision (a) and to support arts and music education programs.
(d) For purposes of this section, standards-aligned instructional materials includes, but is not limited to, books for school and classroom libraries.(e) The governing board or body of each school district, county office of education, or charter school receiving funds pursuant to this section shall discuss and approve a plan for the expenditure of funds received pursuant to this section at a regularly scheduled public meeting. It is the intent of the Legislature that each school district, county office of education, or charter school expend any resources received pursuant to this section consistent with their governing board or body approved plan.