Again-to-school season could be a nerve-racking time not only for lecturers and college students, but in addition for fogeys. One of many key challenges that oldsters face annually is having to buy faculty provides for his or her youngsters, resembling pencils, pens, notebooks, and folders, and looking for precisely what they want in busy shops, which can have restricted choices.
Lemont-Bromberek Mixed College District 113A in Illinois has made this course of a lot easier for fogeys with a custom-made faculty provide equipment program from College Specialty.
The SchoolKidz program allows dad and mom to purchase a single faculty provide equipment for every of their youngsters on-line, utilizing a easy order kind. The kits include every thing their baby must be profitable for that yr, as specified by the college’s lecturers.
Not solely is that this an enormous time saver for fogeys, however it could actually additionally grow to be a extremely profitable fundraising software. If a college or district PTO chooses to make use of this system for fundraising, they’ll designate how a lot further to cost dad and mom for every equipment—and this extra income goes again to the PTO to learn the college and college students.
For the 2025-2026 faculty yr, CSD 113A participated within the SchoolKidz provide equipment program, which additionally had a simultaneous fundraising element, with nice success. As a result of funds raised, the PTO was in a position to give a refund to the college and even supplied further kits for college kids whose households couldn’t afford provides. In a district the place one in 5 youngsters comes from low-income households, this helps stage the enjoying subject and ensures that every one college students can be profitable.
PTO President Jordan Smuksta calls the SchoolKidz program a win-win-win for fogeys, youngsters, and faculties. “We hear on a regular basis from dad and mom how nice this system is,” she notes.
How the Program Works
CSD 113A is a public Okay-8 district with 4 faculties serving simply over 2,500 complete 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 faculty provides they need every baby to have for the next faculty yr. From these lists, the PTO works with College Specialty to place collectively custom-made provide kits for every grade stage.
“The kits include every thing that youngsters want, from glue sticks and binders to headphones,” Smuksta says.
Utilizing free promotional supplies supplied by College Specialty, the PTO then publicizes this system amongst dad and mom. The instruments to assist market this system embrace a pattern show equipment, posters, yard indicators, mother or father letters, social media posts, and reminder flyers.
Dad and mom order the kits for his or her youngsters on-line. College Specialty gives 4 different-sized equipment packing containers, color-coded by grade stage, to accommodate almost any provide checklist.
The deadline for ordering is in June, and the kits are shipped over the summer time—guaranteeing that college students have the provides they want on day one of many new faculty yr.
Working with College 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 via social media and our district’s messaging app, ParentSquare.” The promotions embrace a hyperlink to the net ordering web site, she notes, which “makes it simple for households as nicely.”
Taking the Stress Off Dad and mom
With no minimal orders required and no contract charges or penalties if the kits aren’t offered, there is no such thing as a danger to colleges in providing this system. However the rewards are super.
Collaborating within the SchoolKidz program ensures {that a} vital variety of college students will arrive on the primary day of faculty with every thing their lecturers have requested for, with out requiring dad and mom to endure the effort of back-to-school buying.
“This takes the stress off our dad and mom at a busy time of the yr,” Smuksta says.
This system additionally provides the district’s PTO with a major quantity of income. A few of this cash is invested in employees appreciation initiatives, and a few is used to supply faculty provides for youngsters whose households can’t afford them—eradicating this burden from lecturers and guaranteeing fairness.
“College Specialty’s customer support representatives are fabulous to work with,” Smuksta provides. She concludes: “I can’t say sufficient in regards to the firm and this program.”
