Conservative legislator Greg Hughes was blown away recently when he attended a science class at an elementary school and watched students play violin notes to describe different types of rocks during a science instruction.

Hughes, R-Draper, is chairman of the Conservative Caucus in the Utah House of Representatives and is strongly aligned with the no-new-tax, cut-spending philosophy of government.

But he has been won over to a program funded by the Legislature two years ago to bring arts instruction to the state's elementary schools as a way to enhance students' learning in the core disciplines such as math, science and languages.

That's why Hughes, usually one of the first lawmakers to sign on to spending cuts, opposed the slashing of four-year arts-in-education experiment as part of the Legislature's 17 percent spending cut last year to balance the listing state budget. Hughes sponsored the legislation two years ago to provide $15.8 million for arts instruction in 53 elementary schools. Each school had the choice of using the money to hire instructors in dance, music, theater or visual arts.

But because of the economic downturn, the Legislature had to find a way to balance an $876 million budget deficit in the last fiscal year. While the problem was eased by the $460 million Utah received in federal stimulus money, most programs took drastic hits, including a 37 percent cut in the arts program.

So what originally was to be a program funded for four years to see what difference the arts made in students' progress in core subjects is about to end in its second year. Principals in the participating schools have sent letters to parents to let them know that unless the money is restored in the upcoming legislative session, the arts program will cease at the end of this school year.

National studies have shown a link between arts instruction and higher achievement in core curriculum. In some cases graduation rates have been four times higher among students who have had classes in music, dance, theater or visual arts.

The Utah program was inspired by Beverly Taylor Sorenson, the widow of billionaire philanthropist James L. Sorenson. She founded Artworks for Kids several years ago and was instrumental in getting the Legislature to fund the program in schools.

"What Beverly Sorenson has done is marry the rigor of academics with art," Hughes told me. "I believe this program has found a link between the arts and academic performance. It's a way to close the achievement gap. We've seen that attendance has increased. Kids are enjoying school more."

Hughes said that because the original funding was one-time funding, "It never should have been part of the budget cuts."

Yet the Legislature is now looking at an additional $150 million to $200 million in cuts to balance the current fiscal year budget, so restoring the funding and keeping the program going may be an uphill battle.

Linda Cluff, director of Friends of Artworks for Kids, said her group has been visiting schools to generate support for continuing the program. She says 8,000 parents so far have contacted the group's Web site offering support.

Whether that is enough to persuade a stingy Legislature, whose members have long called for a more core-curriculum-based regimen and fewer "frills," to come up with funding for the arts in the midst of an ongoing budget crisis remains to be seen.

Even Hughes, a longtime leader in the "no-frills" movement, may not have the clout to save a program he is convinced will save money in the long run be improving academics and graduation rates.

And that would be a shame.