West Allegheny parents continue to lobby the school board for improvements to the elementary school visual arts and music programs.

Nancy Volk, president of the Arts Advocacy Council booster group, presented more than 200 signatures on a petition Aug. 19, requesting additional staff and longer class periods for art and music as well as courses such as technology, physical education, library and world languages.

"It's time to make this happen," said Mrs. Volk, of Findlay. "It is long overdue."

Booster group Vice President Eve Monks, a North Fayette mother of three, said 35 minutes of art every six days was "just a teaser" for pupils in the district's three elementary schools.

"We need to increase the time elementary students spend with the arts, or they're not going to appreciate it," she said.

Linda Range, of North Fayette, a pediatrician whose two children attend Wilson Elementary, said she was disappointed with arts programming, which she believes is a necessary part of a well-rounded education. She suggested the district has put more resources toward sports than arts.

Susan Tarasenkov, of Findlay, said high-paying jobs of the future would require skills that are taught by the arts, including creative thinking and problem solving.

She said the district needed "to try a little harder" to provide quality arts instruction.

West Allegheny art teacher Debbie Turici cited a recent letter to school leaders in which U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan outlined the importance of the arts as a core academic subject.

Ms. Turici recently was named chairwoman of the newly formed fine arts caucus of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, and she also sits on the national caucus.

"We have wonderful programs, but we want to be better," Ms. Turici said.

West Allegheny will enhance its arts programming this year with a $5,000 grant secured through the Grable Foundation, Assistant to the Superintendent Christine Assetta said.

The district will partner with the community-based organization Gateway to the Arts to hold several assemblies in the elementary schools and workshops in the middle and high schools to complement the art and music programs.

"As a district, philosophically, we really do feel there is a benefit to arts instruction, and this was something that we wanted to provide for our students," Dr. Assetta said.

The district did not expand its elementary arts staff for the coming year, but school board President Debbie Mirich said the board would continue to discuss ways to improve the arts program.

Parents, teachers and West Allegheny community members founded the arts booster group in early 2008.

Arts Advocacy Council member Erik Schutzman, of North Fayette, said the organization would continue to push for more art in the classrooms.

"We're a strong group, and we're not going away," he said, "and we hope you listen to us."