By Jeff Wilkins

Students in New York City public schools are falling further and further behind both state and national averages for arts education, said a report released by the Department of Education at City Hall yesterday.

Deputy Chancellor Marcia Lyles and Arts Director Sharon Dunn unveiled the DOE’s first ever in-depth analysis of the state of arts education in city schools which painted a bleak picture of an educational system that is slowly letting the arts fall by the wayside as budget cuts continue.

“As you all know, our city, our state, and the entire country are facing tough times right now,” said Lyles, citing a 1.75 percent reduction in funding since late January amounting to a $100 million reduction in school budgets citywide. ‘As of this month, the amount of money our schools have allocated to the arts has declined by over one percent since October.”

The report showed that only four percent of elementary schools were providing instruction in the four basic disciplines of art: theatre, music, dance and visual arts. Only 29 percent of middle school students meet the minimum arts education requirements established by the state. High schoolers didn’t fare much better with less than 46 percent meeting the minimum requirements. The Bronx scored worst of all in arts education, finishing dead last at every grade level.

Dunn, however, had a slightly rosier outlook.

“We’re not saying we are doing great,” said Dunn. “We are making improvements; however, there is a long road ahead of us.”

A major reason the city is lagging behind in arts education is the apparent shortage of full-time, certified arts teachers working in the system. City schools employ only one certified art teacher for every 496 students, according to the DOE.

Though the numbers look bad, many council members charge they may be far worse than what the DOE initially reported. Every school in the city was sent a survey to help compile data for the report, but nearly 300 area schools neglected to respond.

“I assume theses schools didn’t respond because they don’t have art programs,” said Councilman Domenic Recchia. “If I was a principal and I had arts in my school, I would want to respond to the survey. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t.”

Committee Chairman Robert Jackson agreed that the data used in the report was insufficient.

“If this was math or reading scores and the schools didn’t respond, what would happen?” he asked. “Heads would roll, that’s what. Why are the arts any different?”

Dunn vowed that next year compliance to the survey would be mandatory for all city schools.

Acclaimed Broadway actress and former star of “The Cosby Show” Phylicia Rashad spoke at the hearing’s conclusion, emphasizing the important role arts education plays in the development of adolescents.

“I don’t know why education is so unbalanced, especially in this city,” said Rashad. “I should think that arts education would be implemented right alongside literature, mathematics, and science. I should think that in this city, there would be no question that it all comes together for the sake of education and for the development of well-rounded, young minds.”