House Panel Advances Budget Plan That Could Strip Arts Education Grant
A federal arts education grant that has supported students, teachers, and community programs since 2015 is now facing an uncertain future in Washington. The US House Appropriations Committee, led by Republican Tom Cole of Oklahoma, has advanced a budget proposal that could eliminate the Department of Education’s Assistance for Arts Education program, the agency’s only dedicated arts grant.
The program was created to serve disadvantaged students and children with disabilities, and advocates say its reach extends well beyond classroom enrichment. Erin Harkey, chief executive of Americans for the Arts, said eliminating the grant would weaken support for “critical work that students, educators, and communities depend on,” including teacher professional development, accessible arts education programming, community partnerships, and arts education outreach.
The committee’s report takes a narrower view. It says federal funding should be directed toward “core education such as reading, writing, and math,” a familiar argument in budget fights over the arts. Last year, Congress ultimately approved $36.5 million for the program, despite similar threats to its funding. Americans for the Arts has said its ideal funding level would be $40 million.
The grant has also been used in ways that reflect shifting political priorities. In the most recent award cycle, applications were requested for programs promoting “patriotic education,” including a Cleveland Play House initiative that received $830,000 to “enhance patriotic education through arts integration.”
For now, the proposal is only one step in a longer budget process. The program’s fate will depend on Senate proposals, followed by negotiations between the House and Senate over a final spending bill. For arts educators and cultural organizations, that means the coming months could determine whether one of the federal government’s few direct investments in arts learning survives intact — or is narrowed further in the name of budget discipline.
