Red Bank Elementary is hosting a carnival put on by parents of the students Friday, April 29 to raise money for various school programs and, hopefully, an art teacher. Entry costs $10, and tickets will be sold the day of the fair.
The school is classified as Title I, meaning a large percentage of its students receive federal assistance in some way. Red Bank Elementary currently doesn’t have money in its budget to afford a full-time art teacher.
Carnival organizer Kris Shuff said that while she understands not having the necessary funds, the lack of arts in the school is negatively impacting students.
“It’s so tragic that so many of our students can’t get that creative outlet,” Shuff said. “It’s not just drawing, it’s expression. Kids express themselves in different ways, and art leaves a big impression on kids’ lives.”
The carnival will work to benefit STEAM – or science, technology, engineering, arts and math – instruction at the school. While Shuff admitted that raising enough to fund a full-time art teacher is a long shot, raising awareness about the issue in the community is key as well, she said.
This is the second year that such an event has been organized. Last year, Shuff assisted in putting on a relay race that teams could pay an entry fee to sign up for. The event, dubbed Restart the Arts, brought in roughly 600 people, she said.
This year, they’re looking to bring in even more.
“We’ve got a number of vendors, boosters and food trucks coming,” said Shuff. “Boosters will be able to keep the money they make, of course.”
Among the special guests set to make an appearance are the Chattanooga Fire Department, Bumblebee from the “Transformers” franchise and Superman. Shuff said organizers also hoped for a performance by the Red Bank High School band, but it hadn’t been confirmed as of press time.
“We’d really just like to see the event grow and increase parent involvement,” Shuff said.