The Pajaro Valley Unified District Board of Trustees on Wednesday tabled a plan to change the way art and music classes are allocated to its elementary schools.
In delaying the vote, the board agreed to return to the discussion after a study session of the district budget on June 17, and the final budget adoption on June 28 to see whether it would be possible to hire new art teachers.
The trustees were considering approval of a plan for full-time elementary school art teachers to split their time between two schools as a way to ensure that all schools have access to art lessons. Currently, some schools do not have an art teacher.
Under that plan, grades K-3 would get art lessons, while the upper grades would receive science instruction.
All grade levels would receive music instruction.
The proposed changes are also a way to ensure that elementary school teachers receive their contractually guaranteed prep period.
More than a dozen people addressed the board, many expressing concern about art teachers splitting their time between two schools.
Amesti Elementary School student Valeria Hernandez Gallardo asked that the art teacher there be allowed to stay there full-time.
“It’s not fair to us students,” she said. “I want her to stay at Amesti. I think the best solution is to have a teacher at each school of art.”
Trustee Adam Scow agreed, and made a motion to keep the program the way it is, and to look into hiring new teachers.
“I do not want to see a reduction of visual art teachers going into next year,” he said.
But Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez warned that such a move would likely cost from $500,000 to $1 million, money that would have to come from elsewhere in the district.
Further complicating the matter is Proposition 28, a voter-backed law passed in 2022 that guarantees funds for art and music programs to schools based on their population. For example, $7,000 for New School and $405,000 for Watsonville High School.
But with that money set to start rolling in next year, there has been no direction from state education officials about how school districts can spend the money, says Rodriguez.
Allocating the money incorrectly—such as hiring new teachers when the funds are intended for existing ones—would mean that money would have to be repaid from the general fund, she said.
The board may have a better picture of the budget after the June 17 study session, which was requested earlier this year by Trustee Georgia Acosta.
She said that she agreed that a deeper financial dive would be necessary to continue the discussion of hiring additional art teachers.
“I have always believed in being fiscally sound as long as I have been on this board,” she said, referring to Rodriguez’s warning. “So I can’t sidestep that when I have to take your advice you’re giving as an expert.”
The PVUSD Board of Trustees will hold a public study session of the district budget on Saturday, June 17 at 10am in the E.A. Hall Middle School Cafeteria at 201 Brewington Ave. For information, visit pvusd.net.
