Advocacy is at the heart of what we do in theatre. The stories we tell advocate for a particular worldview.
But we must also advocate for support for our theatres. From school boards and town councils to the halls of Congress, we all play a vital role in ensuring that educational theatre programs are around for generations to come!
7/10/2024
IMPORTANT ARTS FUNDING NEWS: PLEASE READ AND RESPOND TODAY!
Federal Appropriations Update for Fiscal Year 2025
By Zachary Keita, NAfME Advocacy and Public Policy Communications Manager
The release of the Biden Administration’s Fiscal Year 2025 (FY 2025) budget request on March 11 marked the first step in the annual federal appropriations process, in which funding levels for the upcoming fiscal year are determined. In this budget request, the president proposed $82.4 billion in discretionary funding for the U.S. Department of Education (ED), a $3.1B increase over FY24 funding.
Following the budget release, U.S. House and Senate members meet in their respective appropriations subcommittees to “mark up” (i.e., make revisions to) the proposed legislation. ED receives its funding through the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill, which receives initial review and approval from the Labor-HHS-Education subcommittees in the House and Senate.
U.S. House of Representatives
In July, the House Appropriations Committee approved its Labor-HHS-Education funding bill for fiscal year 2025, which includes major cuts to education programs. The bill would provide the U.S. Department of Education with $68.1 billion in discretionary funding, which is roughly an $11 billion (13%) decrease below FY 2024 funding and falls $33 billion short of the President’s budget request. In order to keep total funding for the bill at $72B, drastic cuts would be made to several high-impact programs administered by ED. In this blog we will review key aspects of the House Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill, discuss how the election cycle will impact appropriations, and provide an opportunity for advocates to take action in support of programs impacting arts education.
| Program | FY25 Funding (Proposed by House Majority) |
| Title I | $13.7 billion—$4.7 billion decrease below FY 2024 funding |
| Title II | Completely Eliminated |
| Title IV-A | $1.4 billion—$10 million increase over FY 2024 funding |
| IDEA | $15.5 billion—$30 million increase over FY 2024 funding |
| Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers | $1.33 billion—Level funding compared to FY 2024 |
| Assistance for Arts Education Program | Completely Eliminated |
| Teacher Quality Partnerships | Completely Eliminated |
| Augustus F. Hawkins Center for Excellence | Completely Eliminated |
| HBCU, TCU, and MSI Research and Development Infrastructure Grants | Completely Eliminated |
While programs such as Title IV-A and IDEA received modest increases in the House Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill, several vital programs aimed at supporting students from low-income backgrounds (Title I) and developing the teacher workforce face (Title II) face drastic cuts or total elimination. At the higher education level, programs aimed at bolstering the capacity of minority serving institutions (MSIs) and diversifying the teacher workforce are also at risk of elimination. With the United States currently in the midst of a teacher shortage, cuts to programs that would strengthen and diversify the teacher pipeline are non-starters. Likewise, we are unable to support a bill that would reduce funding to programs that support our most vulnerable student populations, such as Title I. We urge members of Congress to revise these funding proposals when the bill is considered on the House floor.
What’s Next?
The Labor-HHS-Education bill will move on to markup in the full House of Representatives. On the Senate side, appropriators began their first round of markups following the July 4 recess, but no schedule has been released for consideration of the Labor-HHS-Education bill. In a normal year, once both chambers approve their respective Labor-HHS-Education bills, they would meet to reconcile the differences in programmatic funding, before ultimately sending final bills to the President. Because this year is an election year, we can almost be certain that Congress will pass a continuing resolution this fall, postponing final decisions on the budget until the results of the election are clear.
Advocacy
Appropriations offer a key opportunity for advocates to seek increased funding for their programmatic priorities. We will begin hosting online advocacy campaigns for members, allowing you to share your story and the importance of supporting arts education in your community. When advocating to Congress, the most compelling arguments you can provide to legislators are based on personal experiences within their state. This is why we need you, arts education advocates, to rally together and show your support for these vital programs. Visit our federal funding campaign for more information on how you can urge legislators to support these key education programs throughout the appropriations cycle: Campaign Link
7/10/2024
| Kamlager-Dove Introduces Legislation to Fund Arts Education at Minority Serving Institutions |
| WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) introduced the Equitable Arts Education Enhancement Act to increase access to the arts for underserved communities. Representatives Alma Adams (NC-12), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), and Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) joined Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove as original co-sponsors of the bill. “As Angelenos, we understand the fundamental role the arts play in empowering, inspiring, and uplifting our diverse communities. Despite overwhelming public support for arts programs, funding cuts are increasing in frequency, disproportionately impacting Black people, people of color, and underserved communities,” said Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove. “I’m proud to introduce this legislation, which would create art education grants for Minority Serving Institutions to ensure that all students can express their creativity and benefit from the power of the arts.” Specifically, the Equitable Arts Education Enhancement Act would: 1. Direct the Department of Education to administer a competitive grant program that can be used by Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to: Provide financial and other assistance to students in the arts, arts education, and cultural departments; Establish outreach programs and development offices for arts, arts education, and cultural departments; Provide comprehensive wraparound services for arts, arts education, and cultural students, including faculty and peer mentorship, work-based learning opportunities, guidance counseling, and career advising; 2. Exhibit, maintain, monitor, and protect Minority art collections in exhibition and in storage; and 3. Provide well-paid apprenticeship, internship, and fellowship opportunities to students in arts, arts education, and cultural programs through partnerships with nonprofit arts, arts education, and cultural institutes. Increase federal funding to MSIs to improve arts education and access for minority students; and Provide an expansive definition of the arts to ensure all forms of art can benefit, including performance, literary, visual, graphic, plastic, and decorative arts. The Equitable Arts Enhancement Act has been endorsed by the following organizations: American Orff-Schulwerk Association, Americans for the Arts, Association of Art Museum Directors, CMA Foundation, Conn Selmer, Create CA, Educational Theatre Association, Hawaii Youth Symphony, Jazz at Lincoln Center, JazzSLAM, Lang Lang International Music Foundation, League of American Orchestras, Music Teacher Guild, Music Travel Consultants, Music Will, National Art Education Association, National Association for Media Arts Education, National Association for Music Education, National Association of Music Merchants, National Concerts, National Dance Education Organization, National Guild for Community Arts Education, National Network for Folk Arts and Education, Organization of American Kodaly Educators, Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society, Rock and Soul Forever Foundation, Sankofa Songs, Springfield Symphony, Theatre Communications Group, and Young Audiences Arts for Learning.Quotes from endorsing organizations can be found here. |