VENTURA : 50 Affirm Support of Arts Instruction

At a time when school budget cuts and the loss of arts education often go together, 50 teachers, civic leaders and representatives from the arts community met Saturday to affirm their commitment to the continued integration of arts instruction in the Ventura school curriculum.

The symposium was sponsored by the Ventura Unified School District Educational Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises funds for classroom enrichment projects.

The foundation was joined by the Community Curriculum Commission, a volunteer group that was established by the Ventura Board of Education three years ago to advise the district on its curriculum. The commission reviewed the district’s fine and visual arts curriculum in January and came up with 10 goals, including formation of a master plan that would enable the group to identify financial and personnel resources within the community to support arts education.

Richard Welcher, assistant superintendent of business services for the district, said the state allocates 1% of its general fund budget for arts education at the middle and high school levels. That amounts to $70.75 per middle school student per year, and $106.50 for each high school student.

The district spends $10.21 for each elementary school student. This is provided by parent and local arts and community organizations, as the state does not allocate any funds for arts education at this level. Welcher also encouraged the group to explore grants and matching funds.

Virginia O’Neil, president of the Education Foundation, said the community needs a working model to successfully apply for such money. Toward that end, the group arrived at a four-point statement of unity to:

Educate the community that the arts are not a frill; integrate the arts into the curriculum, as well as preserve arts for art’s sake; coordinate the various art resources in the community; and establish partnerships between the schools and local businesses to fund programs and encourage community involvement.