A KPCC analysis of arts instruction at Los Angeles Unified elementary schools found 87 percent won't offer comprehensive access in the coming school year, in violation of California law.
Only about 70 of the district's more than 500 elementary schools will provide all four art forms: dance, visual arts, music and theater. But most of those only provide arts access to a portion of each school's students.
The California education code requires school districts to teach all children all four art forms every year from first to sixth grade — but it lacks enforcement power or a penalty.
Gerardo Loera, L.A. Unified's lead curriculum administrator, was away on vacation and not immediately available for comment. A school district spokesman declined to provide any other officials to reply to the findings.
The analysis was done using data Loera provided to the school board June 17, following repeated inquiries from school board members and multiple reports from KPCC. Check the map below to identify arts access at your school.
The data also shows that some geographic areas of the district receive less arts access than others. More than a dozen schools in and near San Pedro, for example, do not offer all four art forms.
In addition, seven elementary schools have no art teachers assigned at all, according to the data: Carlson Hospital Home School, City of Angels, Elementary Community Day School, Lowman Special Education Center, Lull Special Education Center, Perez Special Education Center and Willenberg Special Education Center.
This is the first comprehensive look at arts access at L.A. Unified elementary schools in recent years. KPCC conducted a survey of Southern California school districts regarding arts access earlier this year. Two dozen school districts in Southern California acknowledged in that survey they provide comprehensive arts access to less than half of their students. L.A. Unified administrators did not fill out the survey, despite repeated requests.
Some schools are part of a pilot program. To learn more about the pilot, read KPCC's coverage here and here. To view the map larger in a separate window click here.
This story has been updated.
