With 300+ schools lacking arts teacher, group will urge City lawmakers to prevent continued loss and ensure funding for arts teacher, programming is accessible to all students 

NEW YORK, NY — Tomorrow, as New York City lawmakers continue to negotiate the final city budget for FY2025, the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable will join with Councilmembers, educators, students and advocates to urge city lawmakers to prioritize funding for arts education in this year’s city budget. 

Between 2020 and 2023, public schools across the city lost 425 full-time certified arts teachers — leaving 307 NYC public schools without a single certified arts teacher. Without adequate investment in arts education, thousands more students will lose access to arts opportunities in their school. 

The group will urge lawmakers to include $38 million in their budget to ensure every school has at least one certified arts teacher and uphold their commitment to restoring $41 million in expiring arts education funding that supports arts programming at every public school. Advocates will also urge the City to protect funding for the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), which supports arts education partnerships with the city’s major cultural institutions. The Adams Administration included $41 million in funding restorations in the Mayor’s executive budget last month. 

Who: 
NYC Arts in Education Roundtable
Councilmembers Keith Powers, Sandy Nurse and others
2024 National Youth Poet Laureate Stephanie Pacheco
Current NYC public school students and teachers
Student arts advocates with Midori & Friends
Education Through Music
[LIST IN FORMATION]

When: Thursday, June 6th at 12:00pm

Where: City Hall Park, New York, NY 10007. Entrance at intersection of Broadway and Park Place.

What: The NYC Arts in Education Roundtable will join with educators, students and advocates to urge city lawmakers to include funding for arts education in this year’s budget. RSVP here.

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