The Eagle Rock High School (ERHS) band is requesting a Neighborhood Purpose Grant (NPG) from the Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council (HHPNC) to fund their annual performance at Knott’s Berry Farm. NPGs fund local public schools and nonprofits to help with activities that benefit the LA community, according to the website of the LA City Clerk. Changes to Proposition 28, a California initiative ensuring public schools have access to arts education, have caused the band to seek funding from outside sources.
Darren Gold, the president of the HHPNC, said NPGs are an opportunity for the neighborhood council to take the funds they receive from the city and return them to the community.
“[NPGs have to go to] projects that are in the boundaries of the neighborhood council,” Gold said. “They have to be free and open to the public. If it’s an event, they have to benefit the public. They have to be something that we as a neighborhood council […] believe is going to give back to the community in some way.”
Ainsley Drake, a member of the ERHS band and former Youth Seat on the HHPNC, said his time on the neighborhood council helped him understand NPGs were available to the community.
“I’ve been on the back end of the process before, sitting on the council as we deliberated which programs we would be giving our money out to,” Drake said. “I know what is appealing to […] the Highland Park Neighborhood Council […] I’m using my knowledge of that to create a proposal that’s as appealing as possible this year.”
According to Gold, budget cuts to the neighborhood councils have affected their ability to grant NPGs.
“If we really feel like we believe in something, and we think it’s going to be good for the community, we want to give some money,” Gold said. “Because we’re giving so much money to NPGs, we’ve had to tighten our operational budget even more and spend less on our own activities.”
Lauren Silverman, the instrumental music director at ERHS, said a change of language in Prop. 28 has restricted the band’s ability to perform at Knott’s Berry Farm.
“Our students are incredibly competitive,” Silverman said. “In the last handful of years, we were able to utilize what Proposition 28 funds to […] balance out the accounts to make sure that these students have the opportunity […] to attend these competitions, [which] are adjudicated by industry professionals at the university level and allow them to receive feedback from someone besides myself.”
According to Silverman, the lack of funding from the current version of Prop. 28 is detrimental to her students’ learning capability.
“[These competitions allow] students to hear critiques and feedback from industry professionals in order to improve and expand their abilities in numerous different capacities, as well as see where they fall in the playing field with other […] ensembles from Central and Southern California,” Silverman said.
Drake said he is disappointed the band has to rely on outside resources for funding.
“We shouldn’t have to be in this situation,” Drake said. “We should be able to receive the money from the state like we’re supposed to […] The money that is reserved for neighborhood councils is supposed to be able to serve community projects and people […] It shouldn’t have to go to public schools, but we just live in a really screwed-up system.”
According to Gold, the HHPNC is aware of the funding limitations within LAUSD.
“Because LAUSD does not cover so many of the essential programs at schools, we do try to supplement,” Gold said. “Schools are always a priority because […] we want to make sure that [the kids in our neighborhood] have the best possible resources. We do tend to give funds to schools, but it’s unfortunate that LAUSD can’t cover […] the things that should be covered. Luckily, we’re able to help out where we can.”
Silverman said every student has worked hard to reach a performance level and should be able to attend this trip regardless of financial status.
“I won’t attend these events if I can’t bring all my students,” Silverman said. “That’s just not equitable.”
Contact Quinn Sumerlin at sumerlin@oxy.edu
