Information for
Community Arts Partners

What Kind of Services Do Your Schools Need? A better question to ask is "what's your superpower?" Consider what you/your organization does best and what specialized knowledge you have.

• Do you coordinate professional performances, bring in experienced teaching artists, specialize in a particular style or technique, lead arts integrated experiences, tap into social-emotional learning... or something else? 

• Would you prefer to increase teacher knowledge or work with students directly? What grade or experience/skill levels would you work best with? Would you target arts students, the general student population, or special education students?

• Do you provide an authentic cultural experience that is representative of or connected to our students?

What Schools are in SDUSD? See these lists of elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools. Typical, atypical, magnet, online, and K-8 schools are included. If you know of a school that is not listed, it is a private or charter school, or not within district borders.

Which SDUSD Schools are Title I? Schools are considered Title I when more than 40% of the school's enrollment is eligible for free or reduced lunch. This data is updated annually. Click here for 2023-2024 Title I percentages.

Which SDUSD Schools are in the Promise Zone? The San Diego Promise Zone is a geographic area determined by the federal government which spans all or parts of four ZIP codes (92101, 92102, 92113 and 92114). Click here for a list of SDUSD schools in the SDPZ.

Which SDUSD School Has What Art Form? Click here to view our VAPA Map. Each "spotlight" color represents the art forms present at that school. Coral is dance, magenta is music, teal is theatre, and gold is visual art. If you have questions about specific programs or courses, please contact the Resource Teacher in your area.

Where Do We Find Demographic Information for a SDUSD School? Search any school on California's School Accountability Report Card (SARC) website to find publicly accessible school demographics.

What Does It Mean to Have a Contract? It's actually a Professional Services Agreement. Having a board-approved PSA means you are a district-approved vendor for a menu of services and prices. Schools can purchase from your menu. It is not a guarantee of work to take place.

What is a Master or "District-Level" Agreement? These are PSAs requested by the VAPA Department that any school in the district may use to purchase arts services from the organization/individual. This way, you only have to go through the contract-writing process once, and schools do not have to request their own contracts. 

What Kind of Services Need a Contract/PSA? Services provided tend to fall into these "buckets."

• Assemblies or guest speakers (one-time events with students as listeners)

• Workshops or clinics (one-time or short-term hands-on experiences)

• Residencies (long-term hands-on experiences for students in classes)

• Professional learning (for arts or non-arts teachers or staff)

Please note that services must be "supplemental." It must be "specialized services" beyond what is taught by the teacher or provided by the district. A contract cannot replace a teacher, and if services are with students, a credentialed teacher must be in the room.

What About Field Trips? PSAs cover services, not materials. Schools can purchase tickets or book buses without using a contract, so we don't usually include them in the contract.

Any school can write a PSA/contract with you. If you're interested in a district-wide PSA/contract written by VAPA, use this checklist to see if it is a good fit for your organization.

ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY

• You offer residencies or workshops for students, or professional learning for educators.

• You already have a relationship with at least 5 district schools.

• You have the infrastructure and staff to work in at least 10 schools every year.

• You need a contract of at least $50,000 over five years, extrapolating from current district revenue.

• You have or are willing to get the extensive insurance coverage required by San Diego Unified School District (please note this is the same insurance coverage required for a school PSA; however, schools may alternatively use ASB funds to hire you through an Independent Contractor Agreement (ICA) instead of writing a PSA.)

  • • Workers' Compensation - $1 million

    • Commercial General Liability - $2 million/$4 million aggregate for bodily injury, personal injury, and property damage

    • Cyber Risk – $1 million (if using virtual learning)

    • Professional Liability - $2 million

    • Abuse and Molestation coverage - up to the full policy limits

    • Auto coverage - $1 million (if traveling between sites to provide services.)

We are interested in partnering with organizations with these products or services: 

• You have a unique or special product that isn’t offered by other organizations.

• Your product or curriculum is based on the California Arts Standards (2019). Arts integration curriculum (if applicable) uses Common Core Standards or Next Generation Science Standards.

• You train your teaching artists in arts content, classroom management, special education inclusion, social-emotional learning, and other instructional techniques.

• You are addressing diversity, equity, and cultural responsiveness within your organization and/or curriculum.

What Should We Know About Contracts/PSAs with SDUSD? 

• A Professional Services Agreement typically takes six months from submission to board approval. It can be good for up to five years.

• The district's insurance requirements have increased effective July 2022. While coverage is not negotiable, you can and should build this cost (and any other overhead) into your hourly rates. NOTE: If you are an individual, the district will waive Workers' Comp and Automobile Liability coverage requirements. View the requirements here. 

What Do We Do Next? Collect these items to start generating a Scope of Work (SOW). 

• • Determine the kinds of in-school services you want to provide and prices for each of those services, such as hourly rates or per-teacher costs.

  • Estimate how much SDUSD schools spend (or would reasonably spend) on these services in a year. 

  • Review insurance requirements to make sure this is feasible for you. 

  • Connect with the VAPA Department or school who will write the contract/PSA. For a district-wide contract, email vapa@sandi.net to be directed to the appropriate person.

PSA Requirements Checklist 

• Complete Scope of Work (SOW)

• W-9 with a physical address

• Certificate of Insurance (COI) meeting required amounts

  • List the Certificate Holder as: San Diego Unified School District, 4100 Normal Street, San Diego, CA 92103. 

  • List the following language in the Description of Operations Box: "This policy shall not be canceled or reduced in required limits of liability or amounts of insurance until notice has been mailed to the San Diego Unified School District in accordance with California Insurance Code sections 675-679.7."

• Start and end dates for the PSA and total PSA amount

What's Next Once Our Contract/PSA is Approved? Once your contract is board-approved, you are "open for business" and can begin booking services. 

First, you provide the school a Description of Services (not a quote), complete with hours and cost as shown in the PSA. Please include your PSA number.

If in agreement, the school creates a requisition, which generates a formal Purchase Order, which will be sent to your organization.

Finally, when work is complete, you provide an Invoice to the school with all the same information as the Description of Services. The Invoice is submitted to get a check cut. 

If schools have questions about how to use a district master contract, send them to this webpage for more information.

What Clearance Do We Need to Work at School Sites? Your PSA is a great source of information. 

• Section 9.6.1: All staff working with students must have criminal background checks and fingerprint clearances.

  • You may need to first apply to become an authorized School Contractor agency with the California Department of Justice. Read more here. NOTE: This can take several months, and may require your PSA be finalized.

  • Additionally, you must request subsequent arrest service from the CDOJ.

• Section 9.6.2: On school sites, your staff must wear an identification badge that exhibits the organization name, employee name, and a picture of the employee.

• Section 9.6.3: All staff working with students must have a tuberculosis (TB) certificate of clearance. The law requires a TB risk assessment be administered, and if risk factors are identified, a TB test and examination be performed by a health care provider to determine that the person is free of infectious TB disease.

Can We Take Pictures or Video? The school's media release forms only cover district purposes (not non-district entities), so your organization needs separate media release forms signed by parents/guardians. Students not cleared for pictures or video may need to wear an identifier.