$5 Million More for Elementary Arts Programs in LA

(6-23-10) In a blog post on The Los Angeles Times website, Howard Blume reports that Los Angeles Unified School District officials are expected to restore $5 million to elementary arts programs that were cut in half as part of efforts to balance next year’s budget. With the increase, the budget is still one-third less than the current funding level, however.

Blume notes: "The restoration comes amid ongoing pressure from arts groups and powerful local philanthropists to spare the programs...their campaign included a full-page ad last week in The Times." Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines denied any influence of this campaign on the decision to increase the arts budget and warned that the governor’s proposed budget could further reduce the district’s budget.

Read more here.