Sedro Woolley School District to Provide School Supplies for Kindergarteners; Hope to Provide Supplies for Grades 1-12 if the Budget Allows

Sedro Woolley, WA – According to a news release from the Sedro Woolley School District, they plan to provide kindergarten supplies, and will evaluate supplies for remaining grades by June.

About a year and a half ago, the Sedro Woolley School District created a School-Supply Taskforce to identify the school supplies that parents and guardians provide for their students, along with classroom fees. The ultimate goal of the taskforce is to relieve the burden from local households that my not have the money to purchase the necessary supplies.

To start, all kindergarten supplies, except for a backpack, will be provided in the 2018-2019 school year. If they can’t supply a backpack, the parent or guardian should let their school’s principal know so that the district can work with local partners for additional help. Superintendent Phil Brockman had this to say of the decision:

With kindergarten roundup approaching, we wanted to let parents know about our decision and how that will impact their household budgets. With about 48 percent [higher in certain schools] of Sedro Woolley students qualifying for free or reduced lunches, it means we have a lot of families struggling to pay for school supplies each year.

The school district is evaluating the possibility of providing supplies for first through twelfth grades as well. They currently need more time to develop the budget to ensure that the district can support this plan for years to come.

The money for the supplies will be allocated from the Education Programs and Operations levy that the community passed in February.