Dept. of Education, SC Arts Commission announce $20 million in funding for arts programs in schools

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– The state’s education system got a major boost Tuesday. More than $20 million in arts funding is set to help South Carolina students who experienced learning issues related to the pandemic.

State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman announced the multi-million dollar plan to expand the arts-based education through the state. This will be a partnership with the South Carolina Arts Commission. The money will help schools and teachers fill learning loss gaps in the arts, as well as provide summer and after school learning opportunities.

Spearman says the arts enhance the other academic subjects in schools, and believes they play a crucial role in keeping students interested in school.

“As a longtime music teacher, I have seen firsthand the impact that arts education can have on students,” said State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman. “The arts have a unique ability to engage students of diverse backgrounds across all subject areas which makes this initiative well suited for the receipt of these funds.”

Officials say the Department of Education is set to receive $2.1 billion in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds from the American Rescue Plan. According to officials, 90% of these funds go to public schools based in proportion to the amount of Title I, Part A funds they received under the Every Student Succeeds Act last summer.

The South Carolina Arts Commission plans to focus the funds on various areas, including art in early childhood, art integration and art industry certification credentials for high school students.

“The South Carolina Arts Commission is confident in its ability to put this funding to use right away to equitably impact learning using the arts,” SCAC Executive Director David Platts said. “Our team of professionals manages existing programs, partnerships, and grant-making infrastructure for this work, which includes federal and state reporting for accountability. ARP ESSER funding from the SCDE will enable expedient and effective scaling with various arts education partners on the local, state, and national levels.”

Officials with the Arts Commission hope this investment will develop arts-rich learning environments and new innovative practices in the classroom.

We have a couple of years’ worth of recent Gallup Organization research looking at South Carolina’s arts-rich schools. It repeatedly shows a link between arts-rich learning and student hope and engagement. We have dreamed about having the kind of funding that would enable expansion to all communities throughout the state,” SCAC Board Chairwoman Dee Crawford said.

The Arts Commission is now working on guidelines for the grant, and more information will be available at www.abcprojectsc.com.