Pottstown  School District Superintendent Reed Lindley went to the school board Thursday with a request to seek a grant for community arts center funding.

But at the heart of his request was a more fundamental shift in educational programing -- one that is necessary in a place like Pottstown, albeit unfair.

Wealthier districts, like Lower Merion and North Penn, have the facilities and resources to provide their students with arts, sports and other extras.

Districts like Pottstown have to get creative.

The board granted Lindley's request Thursday to seek a $1 million grant from ArtPlace for "creative placemaking."

Lindley said he had confirmed with Montgomery County officials that the grant could be paired with a $5 million "implementation grant" through the Community Revitalization program.

According to its website, the ArtPlace grant is aimed at "initiatives involving arts organizations, artists and designers working in partnership with local and national partners to produce a transformative impact on community vibrancy."

Possible partners include the borough, the community college, The Hill School and, obviously, the Pottstown Arts and Cultural Alliance, Lindley said.

He emphasized to the board that his request was about more than just arts funding. "This is not a short-term fix for next year's budget," Lindley said. "I'm looking at things like this as a longer-term solution for an overall problem."

He said a town the size of Pottstown has the advantage of becoming a "learning laboratory, especially for career and technical education."

Lindley's concept and the board's willingness to give it a shot are to be commended.

Despite our efforts, we're not changing the way education is funded in Pennsylvania any time soon.

For places like Pottstown, creative ideas that make use of community resources are the best hope for the future.

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