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The City of Portland is a proud supporter of arts education for all. Whether it's funding arts teachers in our K-12 public schools or community arts organizations for adults, we believe part of what makes our city unique is a public commitment to nurturing our creative spirit.
Arts Education Report
The 2025-26 Arts Education Report details the impacts of Portland's investment in arts education for over 28,000 children during the 2025-26 school year.
Access to the arts allows children to experience belonging, build community, and develop durable skills like collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking. This is made possible through the Arts Access Fund, fueled by the Arts Education Tax, which ensures every elementary public-school student in Portland has access to a standards-based arts education as part of their school day.
This annual report provides data on multiple indicators including staffing, instructional minutes, student caseload, arts pathways and arts partnerships as well as an overview of the state of arts education in Portland. It offers Portlanders insight into the work of the Arts Access Fund and the Arts Access Fund Oversight Committee information so that they can perform their oversight responsibilities.
Arts Access Fund
Funded by an annual income tax of $35 per adult, the Arts Access Fund supports arts and music education in K-5 schools and grants to local nonprofit organizations.
Funds are distributed based on student population to hire arts or music teachers for kindergarten through fifth grade students at the six districts in the city: Portland Public, David Douglas, Centennial, Parkrose, Reynolds and Riverdale. The Office of Arts & Culture allocates up to 3% of net revenues to help coordinate arts education services and outcomes across Portland's six school districts.
The Arts Access Fund also powers Arts & Culture's General Operating Support grants, which provides crucial—direct and flexible—funding to 80 nonprofit arts organizations in Portland annually.