Schools are increasingly forced to find additional sources of funding, USD 257 Board of Education members were reminded Monday.
An upside to this gloomy scenario is that USD 257 supporters can contribute to school coffers while also padding their own pockets.
The win-win plan is the brainchild of former Iola High School graduate, Shawn Walden, and his partner Shug Schippers, who founded It All Counts, an Overland Park business that provides consulting services and processes that help fund education.
Walden graduated from IHS in 1983.
The idea of the program rests on shoppers making all their online purchases through the keyhole of the website It All Counts, which links to more than 500 retailers, including Home Depot, Nordstrom and Walmart.
Each retailer has determined a percentage of each purchase price will be dedicated to a school. From there, the shopper receives one-half of that monetary gift.
“We’re capturing a trend of online shopping,” Walden said, noting that its numbers have been steadily growing over the years.
Several Iolans were used to test the marketing plan, Walden said. Of those, nine people made 49 purchases amounting to $6,409. Of that, $72 went to the school district with an equal amount being rebated to the shoppers.
As a business, It All Counts takes 35 percent off the top of the rebates before they are distributed.
Board members were receptive to the fundraising idea. They will vote on the matter at their next meeting on Oct. 8.
SCHOOL TROPHIES stashed in the basement of IHS will have to stay there a while longer. Board members were hesitant to accept an idea from the USD 257 Alumni Endowment Association to use the trophies as a means to raise funds by their sale to former students at their class reunions.
About 50 or so trophies are stored in the basement, many in need of repair.
Board members wondered if some sort of criteria could be set to prevent a valuable memento of student success be lost to the “whims of the Internet,” said Darrel Catron, board member.
Laura Caillouett-Weiner of the endowment association said the association has been working with members of the Allen County Historical Society to inspect the trophies.
