GROOM, TEXAS -- School districts across the state are facing budget problems because of cutbacks that were drawn up in Austin. But many of them, like Groom Independent School District, are finding creative ways to raise money.
Some creative thinking led Groom to a website where you can buy anything and everything. Its not about the same old student sales pitches anymore.
Pronews 7 is featuring Groom's ideas in this week's Region 16 Spotlight on Education.
It's a school tradition you could say. Students going door-to-door selling cookie dough and candles. But how would you like to customize that order to what you want, when you want it? That's the idea behind Groom Independent School District joining School Mall.com.
"The first thing they do is a magazine sale and we make some profit the kids get their prices off of the magazines sales. But once you get past that there's all kinds of merchants from electronics, clothing, shoes, Halloween costumes, toys," said Matt Johnson, Groom Principal.
Groom joined the site just this year. It allows anyone to shop for clothes, televisions, anything. Then a percentage of those sales goes to the school of their choice. Johnson says the district is already seeing the advantages.
"Two things I really like about it. One is the kids aren't going door-to-door, which help us with the safety aspect of it. But number two we don't all eat that many cookies or need that many candles so these are things they maybe already need for Christmas," said Johnson.
"Everyone's taking a hit and we want your our kids to see as little of that hit as possible. So, finding outside sources to allow teachers to say, hey I want to do this but it's not in the budget. So this money really just goes into an account that teachers can borrow from to do activities that we're not able to fund anymore".
To check out the website, www.schoolmall.com.
