Rainbow District School Board is introducing a new way for parents to pay for field trips, yearbooks, hot lunches, spirit wear, agendas, athletic fees and more.

School Cash Online is being launched in 11 elementary schools and all secondary schools this spring, the board said in a release. All Rainbow Schools will offer School Cash Online by September 2019.

School Cash Online is a web-based program that integrates online payment options with school level accounting. Two high school office administrators from southern Ontario, who spent hours handling cash from milk days to class trips, developed the solution in order to manage school funds more efficiently.

“School Cash Online is safe, simple, secure and saves time,” Rainbow education director Norm Blaseg said in a release. “The online platform offers tremendous benefits to parents, guardians, staff and students.”

With School Cash Online, students will no longer be required to bring money to school, parents/guardians will be able to pay for school items through a secure online system from anywhere at anytime, and school staff will no longer need to collect, count and deposit as much money as they have in the past.

If all parents/guardians sign up for School Cash Online, handling money will be eliminated altogether.

Parents can pay for school items through eCheque or credit card. They can also deposit funds in a feature called “myWallet” and draw from these funds, as needed.

Through School Cash Online, parents/guardians will be able to easily track expenditures for each child. School staff will be able to easily track funds and generate summary reports.

“Current cash handling processes involve upwards of seven different steps from the classroom teacher to the school office staff,” Blaseg said. “School Cash Online frees up time for educators to focus on instructional learning and for office staff to address student needs.

“With less printing and photocopying, School Cash Online also supports our sustainability efforts, offering an environmentally friendly alternative to managing school cash.”

These elementary schools will implement School Cash Online this spring: A.B. Ellis Public School, Alexander PS, Algonquin Road PS, Copper Cliff PS, Larchwood PS, Little Current PS, Princess Anne PS, Queen Elizabeth II PS, R.L. Beattie PS, Redwood Acres PS and Valley View Public School.

All secondary schools will implement School Cash Online this spring, including Chelmsford Valley District Composite School, Confederation Secondary School, Espanola High School, Lasalle Secondary School, Lively District Secondary School, Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School, Lockerby Composite School, Manitoulin Secondary School and Sudbury Secondary School.

Parents/guardians will be invited to sign up soon.

To learn more, visit www.rainbowschools.ca/schoolcashonline.

sud.editorial@sunmedia.ca