We are a fine and performing arts school in Kansas City, Missouri. It is a public school of choice in which students choose to pursue an education enriched by the arts. Currently I teach Foundations of Art, Printmaking and Graphic Design. We are a Title 1 school and many of our students cannot afford to purchase art supplies or any general school supplies for that matter.
Many of my students are from low-income families and are unable to purchase extra supplies needed for a messy art room.
We have a limited art budget and we have to prioritize what supplies we need to purchase. Our school offers ceramics, painting, drawing, printmaking, graphic design, AP art, and foundations of art. Most of our supply budget goes to consumable supplies such as paint, clay and glazes, printing ink, color pencils, pastels, etc. Reusable supplies tend not to get purchased and when things get worn out, broke, or lost, we have to find funds for them.
We do our best (the teachers at our school) to give our students opportunities that the more affluent schools have. We want our students to succeed and flourish in the arts and be lifelong learners.
My Project
Every year that I have been teaching, I have emptied my closets to bring paint shirts to my classrooms for my students in order to protect their clothes when in a messy art room. Those shirts are now worn out and not good anymore and I have exhausted mine at home. I really want my students to have art aprons. Currently, I have about 3 old aprons in my room that are in bad shape.
When I purchase art supplies with our budgeted dollars, I prioritize and purchase consumable art supplies and money is not leftover for reusable supplies such as aprons.
I do not know how many times a student has gotten paint on their clothes and tells me "you owe me a shirt!" I ask them to bring a paint shirt, but for many, that is not an option as many cannot even afford to buy new clothes. I am asking for help in purchasing new aprons to replace the 3 old ones I have that do not allow for all 34 students in one of my classes to use. Of course, these aprons will be used by all of my art classes and shared with the rest of my art department teachers - we have 3 all together.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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