what can school board leaders do?

Americans for the Arts sees school board leaders as key players in the future of arts education in our public schools and communities. Through school governance, America’s school boards ensure that quality education is made available to more than 50 million elementary and secondary school students nationwide. In addition, school boards serve as active participants in their communities as educators, administrators, business leaders, parents, and concerned citizens.

School boards can support arts education in myriad ways by:

• establishing districtwide education policy that identifies and funds the arts as a key component in a complete education;
• allocating a percentage of the district's general operating budget to arts education programming;
• fostering partnerships with local and state arts agencies and cultural institutions in an effort to broaden support and resources;
• and being an informed advocate for arts education within the community.