Art

As the Poudre School District continues planning to cease all student fees, many educators are concerned about where the money for their programs will come from. 

The Fossil Ridge Art department collects around 64,000 dollars from student fees. These fees are used to purchase individual student art kits and shared materials, like clay or jewelry tools. If students are on free or reduced lunch, class fees are waived for them.

Rebecca Black, an art teacher at Fossil, is interested in the District’s plan to make all classes accessible for students. 

“They want to get rid of our fees for equity, is what they are telling us. Which is not something that makes me angry,” says Black. “I do see it as a good thing to open up limitations [for students]; however, I am still concerned,” Black adds. 

The art department previously purchased most of its supplies from the district warehouse in Laporte.

Teachers in PSD used to be able to purchase supplies from a district warehouse for wholesale prices. This made department spending easy and inexpensive as supplies like clay and colored pencils could be ordered in bulk for cheaper. There was previously a district warehouse representative who would negotiate prices. This warehouse was closed in 2022, leaving art teachers with no local place to purchase supplies for budget-friendly prices. There is currently no district supply warehouse.

“If we do go to no fees, the only way it would be feasible is to have a warehouse again and have a person that is in charge of warehouse negotiations,” Black says.

With the lack of a district warehouse and plans to cease fees across the District, classes that previously required fees may operate differently in the new school year.