School districts throughout California have felt the pain of recent budget cuts, and Twin Rivers District is no exception. This will be a challenging year for our schools. Our classes will be adding a few students and our schools will have less staff to assist with important work outside the classroom. Our communities have also suffered with job losses, decreased home values, and home foreclosures. There are some things, like our state budget, that we don't have a lot of control over. However, there are a number of simple and surprising ways that our families can ensure that their neighborhood school receives and preserves the most funding possible.

Idea One - Turn in Those Lunch Forms!
Many families don't turn in an application for free or reduced meals because they don't think they qualify, they don't plan to have their child eat in the cafeteria, or they want to save their school money. What families may not know is that each of our schools receives additional funding based on the percentage of families who qualify. In addition to repaying our cafeteria fund for the cost of student meals, this percentage also provides funding for student computers and technology, certain academic programs and staff, even some of our parent involvement programs.

Idea Two - Attend School On Time, Every Day!
Our schools are funded through a formula that keeps track of each hour that a student is in the classroom. Each time that a student is late, leaves early, or misses a school day, we lose funding for staff and programs.

Idea Three - Protect Your Investment!
Our schools are built and maintained through investments by local taxpayers. If you live near a school and you see vandalism, burglary, or another type of crime in progress, call our Twin Rivers Police Department at 916-286-4875 and let us know. Our police department is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also anonymously call the We Tip Hotline toll free at 1-800-78-CRIME. We Tip provides rewards for information leading to an arrest.

Idea Four - Volunteer!
Every school in our district will be operating with less staff this year and your help in a classroom or around campus can assist in filling that gap. If you're interested in volunteering, please call our Family and Community Involvement Department at 916-566-1600 extension 1367. We also plan to launch a new volunteer section of our web site at www.twinriversusd.org, so please check for additional opportunities.

Idea Five - Donate Everyday Items!
Sometimes it's the smallest things that our schools really need - things like Kleenex, copy paper, pens, pencils, printer ink or printer cartridges. Want to give your child's teacher some classroom supplies but not sure what to get? Try a gift card from RAFT (Resource Area For Teachers), a local nonprofit teaching resource center. RAFT is located at 3136 Howard Street, McClellan, CA and can be reached at 916-640-1442.

With the financial challenges we face, every effort can help us get through the next few years. Thank you for all you do to help our north area schools!