Again-to-school season could be a traumatic time not only for lecturers and college students, but in addition for fogeys. One of many key challenges that oldsters face every year is having to buy college provides for his or her kids, comparable to pencils, pens, notebooks, and folders, and looking for precisely what they want in busy shops, which can have restricted choices.
Lemont-Bromberek Mixed Faculty District 113A in Illinois has made this course of a lot easier for fogeys with a custom-made college provide package program from Faculty Specialty.
The SchoolKidz program permits mother and father to purchase a single college provide package for every of their kids on-line, utilizing a easy order type. The kits comprise every part their youngster must be profitable for that 12 months, as specified by the college’s lecturers.
Not solely is that this an enormous time saver for fogeys, however it may additionally turn into a extremely profitable fundraising device. If a college or district PTO chooses to make use of this system for fundraising, they will designate how a lot additional to cost mother and father for every package—and this extra income goes again to the PTO to profit the college and college students.
For the 2025-2026 college 12 months, CSD 113A participated within the SchoolKidz provide package program, which additionally had a simultaneous fundraising element, with nice success. Because of the funds raised, the PTO was capable of give a reimbursement to the college and even offered additional kits for college students whose households couldn’t afford provides. In a district the place one in 5 kids comes from low-income households, this helps degree the enjoying area and ensures that each one college students can be profitable.
PTO President Jordan Smuksta calls the SchoolKidz program a win-win-win for fogeys, kids, and faculties. “We hear on a regular basis from mother and father how nice this system is,” she notes.
How the Program Works
CSD 113A is a public Ok-8 district with 4 faculties serving simply over 2,500 whole college students. The district has been collaborating within the SchoolKidz program since 2018.
The method begins every spring, when lecturers put collectively their lists of college provides they need every youngster to have for the next college 12 months. From these lists, the PTO works with Faculty Specialty to place collectively custom-made provide kits for every grade degree.
“The kits comprise every part that children want, from glue sticks and binders to headphones,” Smuksta says.
Utilizing free promotional supplies offered by Faculty Specialty, the PTO then publicizes this system amongst mother and father. The instruments to assist market this system embody a pattern show package, posters, yard indicators, father or mother letters, social media posts, and reminder flyers.
Dad and mom order the kits for his or her kids on-line. Faculty Specialty provides 4 different-sized package packing containers, color-coded by grade degree, to accommodate practically any provide record.
The deadline for ordering is in June, and the kits are shipped over the summer time—making certain that college students have the provides they want on day one of many new college 12 months.
Working with Faculty Specialty on this system has “been really easy,” Smuksta says. “They ship us a timeline for selling this system and reminders for fogeys. We take that data and blast it out to households by social media and our district’s messaging app, ParentSquare.” The promotions embody a hyperlink to the web ordering web site, she notes, which “makes it straightforward for households as effectively.”
Taking the Stress Off Dad and mom
With no minimal orders required and no contract charges or penalties if the kits aren’t bought, there isn’t a danger to colleges in providing this system. However the rewards are large.
Taking part within the SchoolKidz program ensures {that a} important variety of college students will arrive on the primary day of college with every part their lecturers have requested for, with out requiring mother and father to endure the effort of back-to-school procuring.
“This takes the stress off our mother and father at a busy time of the 12 months,” Smuksta says.
This system additionally provides the district’s PTO with a big quantity of income. A few of this cash is invested in workers appreciation initiatives, and a few is used to offer college provides for kids whose households can’t afford them—eradicating this burden from lecturers and making certain fairness.
“Faculty Specialty’s customer support representatives are fabulous to work with,” Smuksta provides. She concludes: “I can’t say sufficient concerning the firm and this program.”