As the Fayette school board considers whether to overrule art instruction cuts, Lexington’s Cassidy Elementary PTA is trying to raise $25,000 to pay for a new art class initiative.
Cassidy’s school decision-making council recently decided to eliminate stand-alone art instruction classes as part of the budget and staffing process. Superintendent Demetrus Liggins upheld that decision. Parents appealed to school board members who are gathering more information before making a decision.
Other schools in the district are facing cuts of various courses.
In the meantime, Cassidy PTA members are working on art initiatives for the 2024-2025 school year.
“Our Cassidy PTA has been working hard to make a plan for next school year. We saw the impossible situation our school was faced with in losing funding … so we decided to step up and help provide students with fun, engaging art programs,” PTA President Kerri Hinkle said Wednesday.
She said the PTA will be working with local artists to come in during the school day once a month to teach students fun, engaging and hands on art which will all be funded through the PTA. Hinkle said the PTA will be offering after school art clubs to every grade level during the fall and spring semesters.
Throughout the year, every homeroom class will complete at least four art projects for next year’s Evening with the Arts event.
The projects will not only be aligned with state art standards, but the committee is dedicated to creating projects that teachers can easily connect to reading, math, science and social studies, Hinkle said.
“At Cassidy, we understand and appreciate the importance of art education and we believe this will be a great opportunity for our students to experience art in a whole new way,” a PTA social media post said.
Here are the ways PTA officials said people could help:
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Make a donation at or send a check made payable to Cassidy PTA, to 1125 Tates Creek Road, Lexington, KY 40502
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Sponsor a year worth of Art for a Cassidy student ($25)
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Donate Art Supplies
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Join the Art Committee
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Volunteer.