Prospect And Crown Heights Schools To Get Arts Money: Report

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — Schools in District 17 stand to get a much needed arts funding boost from the City Council.

The only catch? They only have the rest of the school year to spend it.

The New York City Council announced on Thursday a $3 million investment in arts instruction at 120 selected schools, according to the Daily News.

Most of the selected schools are located in Brooklyn's District 17, which covers Prospect Heights, Crown Heights and East Flatbush, according to a Daily News analysis.

At an announcement Thursday, Council Member Justin Brannan said the goal is to raise the amount New York City Public Schools spends on art instruction from $80 to $100 per student.

“Arts and music have always been seen as extra,” Brannan said, according to the Daily News. “If something’s got to get cut, it’s the first thing to get cut. We’re trying to get away from that.”

“We know that when we expand access to the arts for our young people, we will break barriers," Council Member Rita Joseph, chair of the education committee said on Twitter. "Holistic investment for our students is imperative to help the children of this city thrive."

While selected schools should see the money almost immediately, Brannan says to make plans quickly — the funds only last until the end of the fiscal year, just a few months away.