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Lets not get carried away. Photometry with a web cam, although technically possible is subject to gross errors and will not be suitable for anything where precision photometry is required - ie exoplanets!
If one wants to do spectra well you can take on bright stars with a basic digital camera on a simple mount and a transmission grating. Or do the Moon or Planets or even the Sun with a CD or DVD as a reflection grating!
Vspec is free and is the quadi standard amoung amateurs. RSpec is great if you don't have any expectation that your students need to know much about spectroscopy - but it does cost money where VSpec is free.
Other than rent a scopes, most major scopes offer program time for schools. The Faulkes scopes, for example are primarily there for schools.
Relying on 'local' amateurs may be an issue. Those doing this type of work 'casually' may not have the skills and equipment you need whilst those who are heavily into it may not want to interupt their own programs to afford you and your students observing time. However, you might consider chatting to local societies to have students participate in 'events' like Grazes and Occultations. It might be possible for your students to come up with an observing program and have local amateurs take images and upload them somewhere that the students can get to. Just like the Pro's do it!
I'd be quite happy to supply images on occassions BUT NOT have a whole lot of strangers tramping through my house/home/observatory. There may be other amateurs (or even professionals) willing to do the same. Why not set something up online for people to register interest?
Cheers
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