District launches MySchoolBucks outreach to encourage parent enrollment for online payments

St. Mary's County Public Schools staff briefed the board on an outreach campaign to increase parent and student enrollment in MySchoolBucks, an online system that allows families to deposit funds for school meals, pay fees and cover activity costs.

Staff explained the enrollment process: parents create a free MySchoolBucks account using a student’s name, school and either the student’s ID or birthdate. They stressed that meal accounts are separate from school-store or invoice accounts and that funds cannot be transferred between those account types.

The district is promoting the service through its website and a social-media campaign; staff played a short instructional video during the meeting and said the digital media team has posted content on Facebook and Twitter. "We hope to have all parents create an account," a staff presenter said, and invited board members to help increase awareness by promoting sign-ups at events such as open houses and registration.

Board members raised practical concerns about account closure and refunds for families who move overseas; staff said they are meeting with MySchoolBucks regularly and will raise specific issues (such as refund delays) with the vendor. Student member Vanessa Lee and other board members reported positive experience using the platform and recommended promotion during kindergarten and preschool registration to capture families early.

No action was required; the item was informational.