Former Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner is hoping California voters will support his proposition in the upcoming election, promising it will bring arts and music programs to every public school and cost taxpayers nothing.
"We know that participation in arts and music increases attendance," Beutner said. "Students do better in understanding math when they participate in music, so it is an essential part of a good education."
Beutner stepped down as LAUSD superintendent last year after three years on the job. But he said he still has students' well-being at the top of his mind.
He authored Prop. 28 after seeing firsthand how many public schools fail to provide fine arts programs. According to Beutner, just one in five public schools in the state has a full-time music and arts program.
He says Prop. 28 will dedicate about $1 billion a year for those programs and cost the taxpayers nothing.
"No new taxes. What we're doing is taking existing record revenues, existing surplus and providing it to help kids," said Beutner. "The school communities get to decide how to spend it. If they have art and they want to add music, fantastic. If they prefer to have dancing and theater, that's good, too."
Proposition 28's success is looking likely, mainly because there is no organized opposition to it.
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