Mary Plummer|The L.A. Unified School District has an estimated backlog of about 3,000 broken instruments. It's getting one more staffer and outside help — an improvement, but not enough.
Starting in 2014, taxpayers can make tax deductible donations of $1 or more to arts education through the California Arts Council on state tax return forms.
At L.A. Unified's music repair shop, at least 2,600 broken instruments are piled on shelves and in bins. Some have been sitting for years — the result of staff cuts.
The NEA reports only 56 percent of adults received arts education at some point in their lives. The percentage dips to a third of high school graduates.
