Add $74,349 to Arts Council contract, expanding arts classes to 22 school sites

In plain English

The school board is asked to approve Addendum No. 1 to its Site Services Agreement with Arts Council Santa Cruz County, adding $74,349 and raising the not-to-exceed total from $363,972 to $438,321. The change grows full-year after-school arts residencies from 12 to 22 school sites and from 24 to 45 classes. Added programming includes visual arts, Latin dance, hip hop, fabric arts, African drumming, four six-week Pajaro Pathways ceramics workshops at the Watsonville Center for the Arts (including that venue's rental cost), and one more second-semester after-school ceramics class. A yes vote pays the Arts Council the higher amount and locks in the expanded scope; all other terms of the June 17, 2026 agreement stay the same.

Students in the district's Expanded Learning (after-school) program at 10 additional school sites would gain access to arts classes, and families at those sites would have 21 more classes to choose from, paid for with after-school grant money rather than the district's general fund.

Key facts

Addendum increase: $74,349; original agreement $363,972; revised not-to-exceed total $438,321
Provider: Arts Council Santa Cruz County, Purchase Order PO27-00404; addendum dated September 28, 2026
Original agreement approved by the Board on June 17, 2026
After-school arts residencies grow from 12 to 22 sites and from 24 to 45 classes
Funding source: ELOP/ASES/21st Century after-school funds, described as using no general funds
Includes four six-week Pajaro Pathways ceramics workshops at the Watsonville Center for the Arts, plus that venue's rental expense
On the consent agenda, meaning it is approved along with other items in a single vote unless a trustee pulls it out

Reasons to support

Nearly doubling the number of participating sites (12 to 22) for $74,349 spreads visual arts, dance, drumming and ceramics classes to students who currently have none at their school.
District staff tie the expansion to the 2026-27 Board Goals of raising 3rd grade reading proficiency and A-G completion, arguing arts classes keep students engaged and connected to school.
The cost is covered by dedicated after-school program funds (ELOP, ASES, 21st Century), so classroom and general fund budgets are not reduced.

Reasons to oppose or change it

The expansion commits a single outside provider to $438,321 in total, a 20 percent increase just over three months after the June 17, 2026 approval, without a separate competitive look at how else the after-school dollars could be spent.
Part of the added money goes to venue rental at the Watsonville Center for the Arts rather than directly to instruction, and travel to an off-campus site may be harder for some families than on-campus classes.
Because the item is on the consent agenda, the near doubling of sites and classes gets no separate board discussion unless a trustee asks for it.
Spending restricted after-school funds on arts residencies means they are not available for other Expanded Learning uses such as academic tutoring aimed at the same reading and A-G goals.

Official wording

Approve the Arts Council Santa Cruz County Site Services Agreement Addendum for Expanded Arts Programming Recommended Action: Approve Addendum No. 1 to the Site Services Agreement with Arts Council Santa Cruz County, associated with PO27-00404, increasing the agreement by $74,349. The revised not-to-exceed contract amount is $438,321. Background: The original agreement was approved by the Board on June 17, 2026. This addendum expands full-year after-school arts residencies from 12 to 22 sites and from 24 to 45 classes. Programming includes visual arts, Latin dance, hip hop, fabric arts, African drumming, four six-week Pajaro Pathways ceramics workshops at the Watsonville Center for the Arts, and an additional second-semester after-school ceramics class. This contract increase VAPA services to students in Expanded Learning. Board Goal Alignment: This item supports the following 2026–27 Board Goals:  Increase 3rd Grade Reading Proficiency by expanding arts-based learning opportunities that can reinforce student engagement, communication, creativity, and participation in literacy-connected activities.  Increase A–G Completion Rates by expanding sustained student engagement and access to arts enrichment opportunities that complement the instructional program and support continued connection to school. Fiscal Impact: Original agreement: $363,972 Addendum increase: $74,349 Revised not-to-exceed total: $438,321 Funding: ELOP/ASES/21st Century (no general funds) Prepared By: Jen Littleton-Bruno, Executive Director, Expanded Learning Approve Addendum No. 1 with Arts Council Santa Cruz County to expand after-school arts programming across additional PVUSD school sites and increase the number and variety of arts classes available to students.

Official agenda 20260929095619990.pdf

Summary written by claude-opus-5 from the agenda and the 20260929095619990.pdf. It can contain mistakes. The official documents govern.