French Mountain Studios · Lake George, NY
How schools pay for SPARK
Most schools cover the program through one of three paths, and none of them needs a grant application. Here's how each one works and who to ask, so you can bring it to the right person.
PTA or PTO
Many PTAs and PTOs set aside money for enrichment events that go beyond the regular curriculum. A SPARK day is a single event at a fixed, all-inclusive price, which makes it simple to evaluate.
The base program is $2,750 for up to 50 students, or $55 per student, about what a full-day field trip costs, with no bus to book. A PTA or PTO can fund the whole day or split it with the school's arts budget, and we'll provide any documentation they need.
PTA and PTO bookings hold their date with a 50% deposit, applied to the program fee. Booking terms
How to make it happen
- Share the program page or the one-page overview with your PTA president or enrichment committee.
- Ask how they approve enrichment spending, and share the price: $2,750, all-inclusive.
- Once it's approved, request a date. We'll confirm the date and take the deposit.
BOCES Arts in Education
New York districts can book SPARK through their BOCES Arts in Education or Exploratory Enrichment service. The district books it, BOCES pays us directly, and the district gets 36% to 90% of eligible costs back in state aid, depending on its aid ratio. That aid typically arrives the following year.
French Mountain Studios is an approved vendor with WSWHE BOCES (Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex). Bookings through BOCES don't require a deposit, and neither do districts paying from their own funds; a signed Letter of Agreement holds the date. Some BOCES add a coordination fee to the program cost, so ask yours.
If your district belongs to a different BOCES, you can usually still book through its Arts in Education service. We'll work with your coordinator on the paperwork.
What to ask for
- Ask your district's Arts in Education representative or curriculum director to book SPARK through BOCES Arts in Education (visual arts) or Exploratory Enrichment (science and technology).
- WSWHE districts submit an AIE or EE Program Request form, available on the WSWHE Arts in Education page. Name French Mountain Studios as the provider.
- Questions about the WSWHE process can go to our contact there, Carrie VanTassel, at cvantassel@wswheboces.org.
Not sure which BOCES service fits your district? Email us and we'll help you find the right path.
Title I or Title IV-A
Title IV-A (Student Support and Academic Enrichment) funds a "well-rounded education," which federal law defines to include the arts. Districts spend it on needs identified in their ESSA plan, so arts and STEM enrichment like SPARK can qualify where that need is part of the plan.
Title I schools running a schoolwide program, generally those where at least 40% of students are from low-income families, can use those funds for activities in their schoolwide plan, which can include arts enrichment.
Neither requires a grant application from the school. Both are decided inside the district, so the key is asking the person who manages them.
Who to ask
- Ask your principal or your district's federal programs coordinator whether Title I or Title IV-A funds are available for an arts and STEM enrichment day.
- Share the curriculum standards mapping. It shows how SPARK fits NYS Visual Arts and NYSSLS standards, which helps tie the day to the plan.
- Once funding is confirmed, request a date.
Not sure which path fits?
Tell us your district, grade level, and timeline, and we'll tell you what we know about the options that apply. We respond within 3 business days.
Request a dateentwisjj@gmail.com · 843-364-0863 · Lake George, NY