A renewal agreement for technical services has been developed with the Arts Council of Hillsborough County to provide the Artists-in-the-Schools program. The Artists-in-the Schools program employs and trains over 50 professional artists and touring companies to present workshops and performances in theatre, dance, music, media, visual arts, and poetry in every elementary, secondary, magnet, and special school. In addition, instructional programs in the arts for teachers and administrators are provided. Hillsborough County’s Artists-in-the-Schools program, a nationally recognized program in our district for over 34 years, is used as an arts in education model by many school districts throughout the nation.

Years of study have shown that students of the arts continue to outperform their non-arts peers on the Scholastic Assessment Tests. The arts are also a vital and significant source of inspiration toward “wellness”, defined as the universal desire toward improving our states of mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. For these reasons and many more, the mission of this program is to infuse and integrate the arts into every student’s day.

During the 2005/2006 school year, 174,225 students and teachers participated in 1,661 arts experiences, presented by 139 performing companies and individual artists in 209 K-12 regular, exceptional, magnet, charter, and alternative school sites. This comprehensive program is funded jointly by the District and the Arts Council. Matching funds for this-in-school program are provided by grants, fees, and donations made by individual organizations.

Total Outside Funding - $230,500: Grants, Southwest Florida Water Mgt. District, City and County Water Depts - $120,000; Foundation/Corporate Support - $3,000; Earned Income - Field Trip Program - $25,000; Magnet School/After-School Programs - $37,000; School and PTA Purchased Programs - $33,000; Miscellaneous contracts for services and grants programs - $9,000; Grants, State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs - $3,500

Goal 5 – The District will eliminate the FCAT achievement gap by a minimum of 10 percentage points as reported by No Child Left Behind.

Funds of $121,332 are included in the divisional fixed budget. Matching funds of $230,500 are provided through grants, fees, and donations made by individual organizations.