The St. Cloud Times recently placed a spotlight on the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District.  Did you know that with changes made in the 2013 legislative session, schools can re-think the costs of doing business? For instance, now that the state is picking up the cost of full day kindergarten, district money is back on the table. In this case, many previous costs to families will be eliminated or reduced, and there is new opportunity to engage students with technology too!

A few of the Sauk Rapids-Rice improvements include:

• Student transportation fee was dropped (some students were paying $400/year)
• Supply lists in elementary schools were pared back to save parents money.
• Free breakfast for all students (Currently, 34% of students receive free or reduced lunch)
• Next year, fees to participate in sports or activities will be reduced.
• In December, the District is choosing to lease 1,300 MacBook Airs for its high school students.

Superintendant Dan Bittman shares….”As a district, we are focused on eliminating financial barriers and creating more equity regardless of their family income or regardless of the color of their skin”

Make sure to read the entire article at SCTimes.com for all of the details. Is your local school district using freed up dollars in new and exciting ways like Sauk Rapids Rice is? How about restoring media centers that have been severely cut? Share in the comments….

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/k8cbqwd, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0