The Republican-chaired House Appropriations Committee proposed on June 9 to allocate $0 to the Department of Education’s Assistance for Arts Education program for fiscal year 2027, effectively seeking to eliminate the only federal arts education grant program. Established in 2015, the program supports arts education for schoolchildren, especially those with disabilities or limited means, and previously received $36.5 million last year. The cut is part of a broader House bill aiming to reduce the department's funding by $8 million to $70.7 billion, with the committee citing a need to focus on core subjects like reading, writing, and math.
This matters because eliminating the program would remove the federal government’s sole dedicated arts education grant, threatening teacher professional development, accessible arts programming, and community partnerships across public school districts and arts organizations. Advocacy groups like Americans for the Arts warn that the cut would reduce critical support for students, educators, and communities, particularly those already underserved. The proposal also follows a recent requirement that applicants boost “patriotic education” to increase funding chances, signaling a broader political shift in arts education priorities.