MH schools offering supplies to students for $20

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Photo: Kindergarten student Sophia Powell, accompanied by her mother, Sherri Powell, illustrates the cost of school supplies through the district’s bulk ordering program. Photo courtesy Jennifer Seaman.

Parents of school-age children know shopping for supplies can be expensive. With that in mind, the Mountain Home School Board at its April meeting approved funding for the bulk purchase of school supplies, with the goal of providing them to all district students for $20 each.

Superintendent Dr. Jake Long says district administrators are taking advantage of bulk purchasing to save its patrons quite a bit of money during the back-to-school season.

Long says early this school year, district administration formed a school supplies committee, with teacher representatives from each building. The committee members brought the school supply lists from their buildings, and the group worked to decide on common items and preferred supply brands.

The committee discussed the varying supply needs at each grade level and worked to make sure each grade level had a basic supply list meeting student needs.

Shirl Miller, the district’s Federal Programs assistant, issued a call for bids on the supplies based on the average district enrollment of 3,900 students.

Miller says the winning bid gave the district exactly what was wanted for the best price. That bid total helped determine $20 per student would cover the costs for the bulk purchase.

For the past three years, the Mountain Home Public School’s Bridges organization has offered free school supplies to students in need through its Bridges Back to School Bazaar.

Bridges Facilitator Jill Czanstkowski says the bazaar will still take place shortly before school starts, but this year it will focus on free services and screenings.

MHPS students will be able to get haircuts, vision and dental screenings and more at the event. There will also be an area where parents can register to receive assistance paying the school supplies fee.

Czanstkowski says Bridges will still be there to help when necessary. She says it’s hoped the $20 supplies will be more affordable for families, but in situations where people cannot pay the $20, Bridges will step in to help.

Another benefit of the school purchasing bulk supplies is the items will be delivered directly to teachers. Parents won’t have to tote supplies to school at open house or send them with their children on the first day of school. Students will receive their supplies in their homeroom/advisory classrooms at the beginning of the year.

After July 1, the district will begin accepting payments for supplies. More information will be provided to parents for the payment process throughout the summer.

Miller is working with the technology staff to create a digital payment area on the district’s website, and other collection procedures are being worked out by administration.

Long says because the board recently approved the bulk purchasing, all the logistics haven’t been worked out. However, he says district administrators wanted to get the word out to families now — before the end of the school year — so they know to expect a much less time-consuming and expensive back-to-school shopping experience.

The $20 supplies purchase will not cover backpacks, lunch boxes and other personal items, but Long does believe it will be a substantial savings for parents.

He says parents were surveyed earlier this year, and a lot of interest was expressed for purchasing supplies for a discounted rate through the district, so administration knew it was worth looking into.

Long says this is a great opportunity for the families of students in the Mountain Home district, and he appreciates all the work getting it off the ground.

Czanstkowski says community members interested in sponsoring a student who cannot afford the $20 fee may make a donation through the Bridges program to help cover supplies. Those interested may contact Jill through Bridges at (870) 404-4059 or by email at jczanstkowski@mhbombers.com.

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