GBAPS is navigating serious budget uncertainty, and many families have asked what this could mean for fine arts—especially the Fine Arts Institute (FAI) and its pathway schools. Here’s what we know as of Monday, March 2, based on district documents and recent communication with district leadership.

1) What the district document says

In a GBAPS “Budget Saving Items for Discussion Purposes Only” document, the district lists:
“Evaluate specialty programs for ROI (ex: IB, Fine Arts, AVID, etc.)” with estimated savings “ranging from $500,000 to over $1,000,000,” and notes the goal to “Complete ROI for all specialty programs; impact on 27–28 budget.” GBAPS Budget document

2) What “Fine Arts” means in that context

District leadership has clarified that the “Fine Arts” reference in the ROI/program review discussion is focused on the Fine Arts Institute/pathway model (FAI and pipeline schools)—not eliminating all arts programming district-wide.

3) Timeline: what we’ve been told

• No changes are expected for next school year (2026–2027)
• If changes occur, they would be for 2027–2028 (per district leadership conversation)
• An external/independent partner is already reviewing data for the specialty programs listed, and findings are expected by the end of this school year (per district leadership conversation)

4) A key fact from the district’s own 2023 external analysis

A 2023 external report included a recommendation to “Strengthen the Arts Pathway,” with specific emphasis on Webster and East, and to make Washington truly an arts magnet (including recruiting students from outside the district). This matters because it shows that strengthening the arts pathway has been identified as a positive district strategy in recent years.

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What we can do right now

Share the positives with the Board

District leadership has indicated that the most helpful action right now is for families to communicate the positives—what FAI and the arts pathway mean to students and how it has helped them.

If you’re willing, send a short message with:

• a specific example of growth or opportunity (confidence, belonging, attendance, leadership, academic improvement, auditions/portfolios, etc.)
• why the pathway matters for your student
• what you want the Board to protect as this review proceeds

Vicki Bayer (GBAPS Superintendent) – vlbayer@gbaps.org
David Johns (GBAPS Associate Superintendent) – dmjohns@gbaps.org
James Lyerly (School Board President) – jglyerly1@gbaps.org
Lynn Gerlach (School Board Vice President) – lmgerlach@gbaps.org
Andrew Becker (School Board Treasurer) – ambecker@gbaps.org
Jeanette Knill (School District Clerk) – jmknill@gbaps.org
Laura McCoy (School Board Trustee) – llmccoy@gbaps.org
Alex Mineau (School Board Trustee) – aomineau1@gbaps.org
Samantha Meister (School Board Trustee) – smmeister1@gbaps.org

Attend and stay engaged

Please consider attending upcoming GBAPS Board meetings:

• March 23
• April 27
• May 18
• June 22

In order to speak at the meeting you must apply. Click here to fill out the application to speak at the next School Board Meeting.

Ask for transparency

We are asking GBAPS to publicly share:

• what is included in the FAI/pathway review
• what measures are being used
• the timeline and how results will be presented
• multiple improvement/scenario options—not just “keep vs. cut”

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