NYC Mayor, Bill De Blasio, recently announced a $23 million increase to the city’s education budget specifically for arts education. The allocation is in response to the report by city Comptroller, Scott Stringer, which found 28 percent of city schools lack even one full-time certified arts teacher, especially with the South Bronx and Central Brooklyn.

The city’s Chancellor for education, Carmen Fariṅa, indicated that the funds would be primarily used to hire 120 new arts teachers at underserved middle and high schools throughout the city and to forge partnerships with cultural institutions. Additional funds will go to capital improvements (such as new dance floors) and $2million will fund specialty teams to build robust programs in schools that previously had no arts education.