SALAMANCA, N.Y. — Parents, back-to-school time is probably already on your mind. Many families spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars, on back-to-school shopping, but in Salamanca, the school district takes care of all the school supplies.
"Our administrators would collect those lists, right? They get posted on either Facebook or the website, you know, Grade 1 students all have to bring in binders, and paper, and Kleenex, and crayons, and glue sticks, and we started just looking at these lists of what our teachers were essentially requiring students to bring in, and it wasn't any different than any other school district, but the cost of that really became exorbitant," says Salamanca City Central School District Supt. Mark Beehler.
So about five or six years ago, the Salamanca City Central School District made the decision to do the school supply shopping itself. Kids just need gym sneakers and a backpack.
"It also became an equity issue. Some students could afford, you know, when I was in school, the big Trapper Keeper, and those were the cool kids, and then other kids came in with some file folders maybe that their parents nabbed from work. And that all of the sudden began to separate people right off the bat, and that's not the direction that we want to head into here," said Supt. Mark Beehler.
Superintendent Mark Beehler believes the district is obligated to provide the supplies.
"Our parents are already taxed enough through local taxes, state taxes, and federal taxes. Why should they have to pay another hundred or $150 in some cases just so their student can participate in school?" asked Supt. Mark Beehler.
And since the district buys in bulk, the prices are better than what you'd likely pay at the store.
"We found that we could very easily add that into our general budget," said Supt. Mark Beehler.
Also, in this school district, breakfast and lunch are provided to all students.
