Each year, every student gets a programming sheet to show interest in their classes for the upcoming year. Per LAUSD, students are required to complete their art credit with at least one year of a visual or performing arts class. 

Many students, especially at North Hollywood High School are fortunate enough to have many visual and performing arts classes: painting, drawing, ceramics, photography, film, band and orchestra, guitar, theater. These classes are made available to students with dedicated teachers at the forefront, but the arts education is under attack as LAUSD is facing controversies regarding funding and cuts to art programs.

LAUSD is currently under fire in a lawsuit regarding the misuse of Proposition 28, the Art and Music K-12 Education Funding Initiative. The funding for this proposition would expand upon art education by hiring new instructors and diverting funding towards resources and supplies for visual and performing arts classes through the allocation of $77 million dollars towards each school within LAUSD. 

Regarding North Hollywood High School in the matter, the school ensures proper use of funds towards arts education, complying with Prop 28 to support their VAPA (Visual and Performing Arts) teachers. 

Dylan Hernandez, a senior, comments on art education at North Hollywood High School, “I think North Hollywood is doing a pretty good job supporting students by providing a variety of opportunities to take an art class,” he continues, “Classes like ceramics, drawing, and painting give students and good amount of creative outlets to choose from,” noting the variety students have when picking a required visual and performing arts elective. 

Mr. Sharp, head of the VAPA Department at North Hollywood High School and instrumental music teacher directing band and orchestra comments, “Our principal did a great job of bringing new people in.” North Hollywood has had many new faces in recent years. Mr. Sharp mentions Ms. Gower, the painting and sculpture teacher, as well as Ms. McLean, the new AP Art History teacher, as examples of North Hollywood’s effort in compliance with upholding Prop 28. 

He remarks, “I think the problem with other schools is that they use that money to pay their current art teachers, as opposed to adding additional teachers, which frees up money in their general account,” as it relates to the lawsuit with Prop 28. 

Besides hiring new art teachers, North Hollywood has also abetted in acquiring supplies and resources for their teachers; the ceramics room has new equipment and the band and orchestra have been able to afford instruments for individual students, ranging from $600 to $1,200, as well as new uniforms for band. 

With the recent renovations, Ms Lavieri, the ceramics teacher, has been able to teach in a state-of-the-art classroom with new equipment such as a slab roller, with accompanying slabs of clay and even cleaning supplies from last year’s budget. 

In the past, art teachers have had to pay out of pocket at times for their materials due to an insufficient budget for their classes, but those days are long gone with the management of Prop 28. 

Historically, the arts are usually overshadowed by sports, STEM, or test preparation programs and classes, gaining more priority in their funding, whereas the arts education has been undermined as it “lacks” provide measurable results. There’s no competition in art in the same way sports are, or the same amount of show of support, or the discernable results of test scores. In this aspect, the arts are undervalued, but it channels critical thinking through its pursuit in creativity. 

However, Ms. Lavieri remarks, “We also purchased as a department panels visual artists panels to have a show in the ag area, and they’re out being used for other purposes, to show two dimensional artwork on campus. So in a way, we’re catching up with this prop 28. It’s helping us to catch up to athletics,” in response to the funding disparity between the athletics and arts programs as there’s a push towards promoting art throughout North Hollywood. 

She notes, “There’s a perception in general and our society is that the arts get cut, and I have been cut in my past,” referring to her experience being cut as a ceramics teacher from a middle school for test preparation classes. 

Lavieri continues, “We’re in our glory days with the funding, and I hope it makes a foundation that is harder to erode and cut,” based on prior experiences of her, as well as many other teachers throughout LAUSD that’s attentive towards arts education and support for its students. 

Sharp is dedicated and passionate about what arts education, especially what music can do for students, stating, “My challenges that I’ve seen here is that students at the highest level, academic level, would rather take an additional AP class than be involved in a music class,” prioritizing classes that would appear impressive and provide an additional GPA boost. 

Art allows for innovative thinking, in the way that STEM subjects wouldn’t be able to measure. Being able to have a space to create fosters creativity and empathy, abetting in students social and emotional wellbeing. 

“I feel like it relaxed me in the sense that it was a more laid back environment that focused on patience and practice,” Hernandez states when asked how art has been able to help emotionally

He continues to state, “My drawing class, for example, is one of the few classes I truly felt comfortable in. I was able to go at my own pace and I was less stressed as a result,” regarding art as an escape from academic pressure, acting as a breather from his rigorous courses. 

Hernandez’s involvement in art at North Hollywood through drawing, ceramics, and theater class has allowed him to truly grow out of his shell by making new friends and acquiring skills, becoming more expressive and confident 

He continues to emphasize the need for students to be able to foster and express their creativity in a non-stifling environment for at-risk students that are struggling with core classes such as English and math, stating, “…those are the students I feel really need to be in a environment where they feel safe, encouraged and something they love again. You give those students something they love, and it gives them something to look forward to in terms of coming to school.”

While North Hollywood is growing their VAPA department accordingly with Prop 28, the lawsuit still persists, applicable to already underfunded schools in less privileged areas that need to make these cuts to programs, fire teachers, or disperse funds towards other venues. 

“The underfunded at risk communities have wide scale challenges across the board, music and art funding,” Sharp comments, “It’s not that they don’t want it. There are so many challenges. It’s difficult. And you have a lot of people coming and going.”

While North Hollywood is making great strides in funding arts education to support their students and teachers, there’s still a long way to go, especially with the ongoing construction of the school. 

The theater department has been hit a little as the class isn’t a traditional elective, currently being offered after school to be signed up for. Rehearsals occur in the cafeteria every Thursday 4-6 pm, overseen by Ms. Underwood; the current production, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, is being directed by Mr. Cunningham, with Ms. Sonia in charge of tech. 

Hernandez has been involved in theater since his junior year, and he comments on the current state, “Theater is no longer a class one can take normally….. Hopefully North Hollywood is able to make it an official class again in the future,” optimistic about the theater department’s eventual return, as lack of performance space has been an issue for both theater and orchestra– resorting to the cafeteria or gym. 

North Hollywood High School allows for students and teachers to flourish in their craft, made possible because of adequate use of Prop 28 funds, supporting their teachers and students in their artistic endeavors. While many schools aren’t fortunate enough to properly fund and foster arts education, having this creative outlet is important as it provides both teachers and students a means of expression. With art, we become more empathetic with and understanding of ourselves and our surroundings.