Boston's Expansion of Arts Education

At a time of great stress on Boston’s school budget, private philanthropists and charitable foundations launched an initiative to raise $10 million to increase access, equity and quality of arts learning for all students. The city and its schools stepped up with increased public funding for arts teachers... This year, 14,000 more Boston students are experiencing the arts in schools than three years ago. Nine of 10 students in the elementary and middle grades now receive weekly, year-long arts instruction in school, up from two-thirds in 2009. In the same period, twice as many high school students are accessing arts learning during the school day.

The Wallace Foundation recently announced a $4 million commitment to help further expand access to arts education in the city’s schools. Local donors, including the Barr Foundation the Boston Foundation, have already matched this with more than $4 million in contributions. The city has increased public spending on arts education by $2 million annually since 2009, adding 24 new arts teachers.