BUSD approves fine arts block grant expenditure plan

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

The Bonsall Unified School District board approved an expenditure plan for block grants covering arts, music and instructional materials.

A 5-0 board vote Wednesday, Dec. 14, approved the BUSD Arts, Music and Instructional Materials Discretionary Block Grant Expenditure Plan. The school district will be receiving $1,310,465 in funding.

“Every single student in our district has access to the arts now,” Joseph Clevenger, superintendent of BUSD, said.

Although the Arts, Music and Instructional Materials Discretionary Block Grant is one-time funding, the $1,310,465 will fund programs through the 2025-2026 school year.

“What I’m just thrilled about is the sustainability of these funds,” Clevenger said. “I’m very pleased with the funding mechanism to sustain these programs.”

The funds may be used for professional development, acquiring standards-aligned instructional materials, developing diverse book collections with culturally relevant texts and operational costs. The school will be spending $356,335.44 of the funding during the 2022-2023 academic year, $307,453.36 in 2023‑2024, $317,875.15 during 2024-2025 and $328,801.05 in 2025-2026.

The $399,692.93 earmarked for elementary school music teachers will cover $92,733.49 in 2022‑2023, $97,370.16 during 2023-2024, $102,238.67 for 2024‑2025 and $107,350.61 in 2025-2026. That amount does not include benefits expenditures which over four years will be $86,809.78 for benefits and another $300,000 for health insurance contributions.

The $388,200 for general arts supplies will involve spending of $136,000 during 2022-2023, $80,000 for 2023-2024, $84,000 in 2024-2025 and $88,200 for 2025-2026. The expenditure of $61,391.60 for arts, music and instructional equipment will cover $15,347.90 each year.

Tech supplies will consume $43,101 of the grant with expenditures of $10,000 in 2022‑2023, $10,500 during 2023‑2024, $11,025 in 2024-2025 and $11,576 for 2025-2026. The expenditures also include $19,935.31 for rental equipment, $7,024 for contracted services and $4,310 for mileage.

“The arts play such an important role,” Clevenger said. “Just so thrilled that they are in the hands of our kids.”

Joe Naiman can be reached by email at [email protected].