Ventura Council to Reconsider Funding Art for Kids’ Sake

VENTURA — First they funded it. Then they cut it.

Tonight, City Council members will consider reinstating funding for an innovative program that puts local artists in elementary school classrooms. City staff is recommending that the council earmark $3,938 to run the program for the remainder of the 1996-97 school year.

From 1992 through 1996 the city provided $3,500 a year to support the program known as “artists in the classroom.”

Sponsored jointly by the Ventura Unified School District and county superintendent of schools, the program puts artists in classrooms to help children learn about drama, singing, pottery and art forms.

Each session lasted eight weeks and cost $375--which included an artist’s fee, $50 for supplies and $50 for administration. The costs have risen slightly so that making the program available to every school in the school district now cost $3,938.

The program has flourished. As of last year, artists taught a total of 264 eight-week courses in schools from Oak View to Ventura, according to Brian Bemel, the fine arts specialist for the superintendent of schools.

But city funding was never intended to continue indefinitely--it was merely meant to expose schools to the program. Then school officials were to decide for themselves if they wanted to continue.

Ventura decided to cut city funding last fall.

But at Councilman Ray Di Guilio’s request, the council will now reconsider that decision. If the council decides to restart funding, it would be used for the winter, spring and summer sessions of this school year, with the bulk of the funds used for the spring.

But even if approved, no future funding will be considered, according to a city staff report.

Meanwhile, Bemel, who attended a council meeting last fall to protest the city’s decision to cut funding for the program, was overjoyed that the council would be taking another look.

“That’s great, terrific,” he said.