Over $5 million for the arts is at stake in the FY2021 budget process at the SC Statehouse. This is Part 2 in a three-part series covering what is included in these requests.
Part 2 – Access to Quality Arts Education
Request: $500,000 increase
Recurring / One-Time: Recurring
Agency: Arts Commission
Funding Source: Education Improvement Act (EIA) Partnership Funds
Since FY2016, the SC General Assembly has appropriated Education Improvement Act (EIA) funds toward increasing access to arts education. To achieve this goal, the Arts in Basic Curriculum (ABC) Project, a partnership between several state agencies and Winthrop University, uses these funds to provide quality arts education to over 80 schools and over 170,000 students throughout our State. The South Carolina Arts Commission is requesting an increase of $500,000 dollars to continue to support the mission of the ABC Project as demand for grants and services continues to grow.
Unfortunately, stagnant funding has meant that the ABC Project is unable to support growth rates of approximately $10,000 students per year, and has closed the application process for additional grant requests. This means no new ABC sites, and no new grants will be given out unless funding increases. In fact, current ABC sites will experience a reduction in grants as well, as they continue to grow beyond what current funding levels can support.
We know that the arts are a vital part of education, and providing quality arts access to our students is critical to the future of South Carolina. A 2018 Gallup Student Poll found that students at arts-rich schools
in South Carolina, all of which received ABC grants, show higher levels of
engagement in coursework and hope for their future than their
national peers. ABC advancement grants expand this positive impact in our State to ensure that our students fulfill the entire Profile of a South Carolina Graduate.
To read more about the request for increased arts education funds, see our Issue Brief, linked below:
Read the Issue Brief >>
Help push for this funding at the Statehouse during our Legislative Action Day held February 13, as a part of the SC Arts Summit.. Register and find out more information by clicking here.
