Local News Station Reports on Text Message Campaign

Channel 13 News Reported on the launch of OUR Text Message Fundraising Campaign.

WATCH VIDEO HERE!

The Vacaville Unified School District is the first in the country to use technology that lets parents send cash to their kid's school with their cell phone

You can donate by just writing a check, using a credit card or even giving over the Internet, now the Vacaville Unified School District is adding text to the list of possible ways to donate.

"I have seen many teachers that everybody loves and knows go because of budget cuts, and I'm very sorry about that and I wish we could have them back," said Patrick Anton, a student.

Vacaville Unified School District has already cut $17 million from its budget the past two years, that's why school leaders and parents had to get clever, throwing out the life preserver they call SOS = Support Our Students.

"I'm a part of this because we are creating a solution rather than running around complaining and throwing our hands up," said Rebecca Duvall, a mother of a student. "This is a solution to a very big problem."


Parents, children, and teachers hope people will text the slogan "SOS" to 25383. It sends a $10 donation to the district charged to your phone bill.

"If you can type, you can do texting," said a student.

It's so simple that children can donate.

This type of technology has been used to help out in recent disasters like Haiti. This time, some say the crisis is in the classroom. Parents and students hope to take the cash crisis out of the classroom with the touch of a button.

"But the texting, I think, is what's really going to inspire people and excite people, and I think that will bring in lots of new revenue that we haven't been able to tap before," said Vacaville Unified School District Superintendent John Aycock.

While Vacaville schools are still the only ones using text donations, some districts as far away as Chicago are now considering similar fundraising methods.

The district launched the SOS program this week, but, they'll only find out once a month how much cash is coming in.