District officials say it's not only good for the environment, but will save some serious green, it can then put back into the classroom.
Central Unified Superintendent Michael Berg said, "It's difficult to quantify the costs, but it is practically half a ream of paper per household for all of the documentation they had to fill out."
Starting this week, letters will go home with students at Polk and River Bluff Elementary Schools -- announcing a pilot program explaining how parents will have a new paperless option to complete their children's enrollment for next year.
"All of that will be done online districtwide starting May 12th," said Berg. "We're piloting just with two elementary school, but by May 12th, everybody will be able to do it."
Manager of Information Services Chad Godfornon says logging onto the system through the parent portal -- will allow parents to update their address, emergency contacts and other district information on a tablet, smartphone or click of a mouse.
Godfornon said, "What's also nice is parents can update any medical information say a student developed a bee allergy."
It will also eliminate the need for parents to fill out forms and transport them to their children's school at the beginning of each year.
Berg added, "What we're talking about with this re-enrollment initiative is just one of many benefits which is equity of access to parents so they're not having to stand in line in school to re-enroll and fill out emergency cards and make teacher requests, but also things like access to grading, access to attendance records."
A measure of convenience parents and guardians told us, will save them time and patience.
Grandparent Denise Oaxaca Harlan said, "Let me tell you that is wonderful because then you don't have the stress of getting the paperwork on time and everybody has a computer so why not?"
As an added bonus, parents who complete their student's enrollment online will be given early access to their student's fall classroom assignments. And will receive that information by email prior to the start of school next fall.
