Orange County schools have been awarded $2.8 million in arts education funding, according to an announcement by the California Alliance for Arts Education. The grants are 2018 Student
Support and Academic Enrichment grants from federal government Title IV funding. Orange County Department of Education, the countywide education agency, was awarded $1,399,374; Anaheim Union School District, $703,515; and Fullerton School District, $741,915. A total of $30 million was awarded statewide to 53 school districts, education agencies and schools. During the last legislative session, the California Legislature established priorities for the use
of $44 million in Title IV funding in the 2018-19 state budget. Those priorities included the
establishment of a grant program for local educational agencies (LEAs) to expand visual and
performing arts instruction and for school based health centers.
The grant program emerged from discussions around Senate Bill 933, known as the "Arts for
Every Student Incentive Grant Program," authored by Senator Ben Allen and sponsored by
the California Alliance for Arts Education. Senator Allen stated that the purpose of the
program was "to close gaps in arts access by creating a statewide grants program to address
the needs of underserved districts." The full announcement and complete list of grant recipients may be found here.