CARLSBAD - A private school that plans to make a mosaic mural, a circus that expects to perform at ArtSplash and several theater programs will receive part of $25,000 in grants that Carlsbad's Cultural Arts Office is distributing.

"There were requests for $41,000 and we only had $25,000 to give," Peter Gordon, the city's cultural arts manager, said this week as he discussed the annual Community Arts Grant Program.

He's hoping next year to find a way to increase the pot of money, he added.

Started 22 years ago, the program aims to promote cultural opportunities in the city through matching grants. This year, the city had 21 requests for funding, and will give money to 18 of the applicants.

"Some of the arts education ones are nifty," Gordon said, mentioning one program that gets children to learn storytelling techniques as a way to teach them English.

Over the years, the grants have proved so popular that the city has had to set limits on the amount of money it gives to school programs, Gordon said. Under the grant program's recent guidelines, school-specific projects can only receive up to $1,000.

Programs that are aimed at the community, such as theater performances or street-side artist demonstrations, have no limit on the amount of money they can receive, though typically they range from $500 to $3,000, organizers have said.

This year's seven community-emphasis grants are:

• $5,000 to New Village Arts for its seven productions, including the outdoor Shakespeare in the Park performances.

• $3,750 to Patrons of the Arts, formerly Carlsbad Community Theatre, for its 2008 season.

• $2,000 to Carlsbad Playhouse to support its 2008 season.

• $1,500 to ArtSplash/Fern Street Circus, for circus performances at next fall's big chalk art celebration.

• $1,000 to the Carlsbad Oceanside Art League for nine free public demonstrations by professional artists.

• $1,000 to the Museum of Making Music for a series of music storytelling programs for children.

• $750 to the Carlsbad Arts Partnership for five workshops for teachers.

There were 11 grants in the education category. They are:

• $1,000 to Buena Vista Elementary for a schoolwide program on "traditional cultures on four continents."

• $1,000 to Carlsbad High School Band Boosters for a guest drum coach.

• $1,000 to the Carlsbad High School English Language Development Department for a spring semester storytelling project for English learners.

• $1,000 to Hope Elementary School for five musical instruments for fifth-graders.

• $1,000 to Kelley Elementary for a puppetry program and three performances.

• $1,000 to Montessori Arts & Sciences School for a mosaic mural project featuring wildlife.

• $1,000 to Pacific Rim Elementary for dance instruction for first- through third-graders.

• $1,000 to St. Patrick's School for a theater program.

• $800 to Jefferson Elementary for an artist-in-residence program for violin instruction.

• $700 to Valley Middle School for a two-week temporary art museum project.

• $500 to Carlsbad High Drama Club for a guest choreographer for the spring musical production.