Can I Use Prop 28 Funds for Art Training? A Guide for California Schools

If you lead a California public or charter school, Proposition 28 (The Arts and Music in Schools Funding Guarantee) has likely shifted how you plan your academic year. While this ongoing funding source is an incredible win for campus culture, many California districts are running into a frustrating reality: qualified art teachers are in incredibly short supply. So in this newsletter I want to share my art training services and offerings for art professional development.

If you are struggling to meet the 80% personnel spending requirement because candidates aren’t available, you don’t have to leave your first-year allocation sitting unused. There is a practical, compliant path forward: Build your internal capacity.

By designating a strong existing educator into a lead art role and supporting them with structured professional training, your school can fulfill state requirements, beat the hiring shortage, and bring high-quality art literacy to your students immediately. You can get professional development for art teachers california and use your prop 28 funds.

Can I Use Prop 28 Funds for Art Training? A Guide for California Schools, kids painting at school

A Quick Breakdown of Prop 28 Compliance Rules

To ensure your school passes its annual California Department of Education (CDE) audit, your expenditure plan must follow a few non-negotiable guardrails:

The 80/20 Rule: For schools with 500 or more students, 80% of funds must fund personnel (certificated or classified employees delivering instruction). The remaining 20% covers training, curriculum, and supplies.
Supplement, Don’t Supplant: Prop 28 funds must strictly expand your visual arts programming, not replace existing art budgets.
Three-Year Spending Window: Funds can be used across a three-year timeline, giving you the runway to thoughtfully train your staff.

How Nature of Art® Fulfills Your Prop 28 Spending Categories

How to hire teaching artists with prop 28 funds. Nature of Art® provides a complete, turnkey framework designed to help California schools align their staffing, training, art curriculum, and materials into one sustainable plan.

School Need	Nature of Art® Solution	Prop 28 Compliance Category
Teacher Training	Art Teaching Blueprint Certification: Online, structured training that builds teacher confidence and classroom delivery.	20% Allocation (Professional Development)
Staff Alignment	On-Site School Training: A 2-day in-person workshop to establish a shared arts language across your entire faculty.	20% Allocation (Partnerships/Training)
Lesson Planning	Sequential K-8 Curriculum: Grade-level, immediately implementable visual arts curriculum.	20% Allocation (Curriculum & Materials)
Classroom Supplies	Child-Tested Art Supplies: High-quality materials curated specifically for childhood art literacy.	20% Allocation (Supplies & Technology)
District-Wide Framework	Licensed School Partnership: By invitation, a long-term, comprehensive visual arts integration plan.	Fully customizable to match your 80/20 split

Art Training

You do not have to wait for the ideal candidate to appear on a job board. By utilizing the Art Teaching Blueprint Certification, you can upskill your current team and ensure your students are supported by an educator trained in developmentally appropriate visual arts instruction. Nature of Art™ can support elementary school art teacher training california.

About Spramani Elaun & Nature of Art®

Based in San Diego, California, Spramani Elaun is an international art trainer, author, and North American-Mexican female artist. Through Nature of Art®, she has helped schools globally build sustainable, art literacy-based visual arts programs that work within strict institutional budgets.

Looking to work together outside of California? Nature of Art® sets up professional development and custom visual arts frameworks for schools, districts, and provinces globally.

Get Art Training | California Prop 28

Every school campus is starting from a different place. Whether you are building an art program from the ground up or looking for compliant ways to spend your remaining 20% allocation on high-quality curriculum and training, we can help. Learn about The Art Teaching Blueprint online certification course here.

Let’s design a visual arts program that fits your students, your staff, your schedule, and your funding structure.

Ready to connect? Contact us today to schedule a brief Zoom consultation.