Funding Philosophy
HP Arts approaches the funding of arts related activities in a cohesive manner by trying to expose children to the arts at the elementary school level, continued exposure and skill development at the middle school level while finally providing additional fine arts development and additional exposure at the high school level. Funds are distributed within each of the seven schools in Highland Park depending on the year's budget, the price per student of the request and how the requests fit within the goal for each school in the Highland Park School District. Elementary School funding is given equally between the four elementary schools with freedom given to the teachers within that school to make requests which provide a wide variety of exposure to the arts to our elementary school children including Opera, Symphony, Band, Drama, Choir, Art and Literature. Funds given to the Intermediate and Middle School are given to compliment and fulfill needs not met by PTA Gifting, the school's budget and Booster Club donations and are intended to enhance the curriculum of core courses, such as providing Zumba dancers for sixth graders studying Colombia, as well as providing funds for author visits, maintenance for the stage and supporting the Band, Orchestra, Drama, Choir and Art Departments. However, ultimately, each school representative on the Program Committee understands that our Fine Arts Departments are defined by the strength of our High School programs focusing our attention on the High School by fusing the arts into core curriculum such as purchasing art masterpieces used to teach history classes and miniature sculptures for the library and supporting the Literary Arts Festival in addition to enhancing our Fine Arts Departments by working with Booster Clubs to purchase instruments and provide sectionals for the Orchestra and pay for marching compositions, instruments and uniforms for the band. HPArts provides workshops and guest speakers for drama, dance and art classes, sound systems for the Choir, new bagpipes, tuning of piano's, and a new curtain for the stage as well as much more to ensure the high standard for our High School's Fine Arts Department. This approach to funding arts related activities allows HP Arts to sustain a consistent and cohesive approach to arts exposure and development on a year to year basis across all district schools. Below is an example of how funds were recently distributed across schools: