Budget cuts have left one parent to take matters into her own hands after the Mercer County School District eliminated the art teacher position at their elementary school.
The mom is teaching for free.
Myah Balmer is putting art back into elementary school students' hands.
"I think that creativity begins at the youngest ages and if you don`t give them the tools to be creative they just don`t know how to be creative," said Balmer.
Every Thursday and Friday afternoon she teaches art to kindergarten through second graders for free. The school district had to let their art teacher go last year because of budget cuts.
"My daughter is in second grade and she would have had no art," said Balmer.
Balmer, who studied art in college, decided to step in. She reached out to the community through Facebook to ask for art supplies and the donations came flowing in.
She converted an old table into a cart for the program she's dubbed "Art-on-a-Cart," and she used the cart to take art supplies from classroom to classroom.
"It's really rewarding to see their reaction when I come in and leave, I mean they just smile," said Balmer.
Apollo's principal says the situation is temporary and that once things get better financially they will bring back the art teacher position.
If you would like to donate to Art-on-a-Cart, you can call Apollo Elementary school at (309)582-5350 or contact them on Facebook - click here.