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Donor program of bikes and backpacks credited with attendance gains, presenters tell Fresno County board
Summary
A public commenter and staff told the board that a donor program providing bikes, backpacks and clothing appears to have boosted attendance at participating schools; the speaker estimated costs and a possible 20% attendance increase and asked the board to help target high-need schools and donors.
A public commenter described a community donation program that provides bikes, backpacks and clothes to Fresno County students and said the incentives produce measurable attendance effects. “You can't put a price on that,” the commenter said, while suggesting rough fiscal estimates: about $88 per day per student and school-year figures between $15,000 and $16,700 per student in perfect‑attendance scenarios.
The speaker estimated that awarding bikes for perfect attendance can raise attendance by about 20% at some sites and framed that as a donor return: for a 600‑student school, a modest increase in attendance could translate to roughly $300 per participating student and suggested targeted outreach to donors and the board identifying schools with the greatest need. Board members asked staff to help connect donors and flagged safety considerations such as training wheels and helmets for younger riders. The commenter also noted the program supplies clothing to more than 200 schools in the county and asked the board to consider targeted expansion priorities.
