Tri-Valley Elementary can earn extra money through the Box Tops program which is now through an App called Box Tops for Education. (Photo/Submitted) 

Sara Stadem | Editor 

If you have had a student in school at Tri-Valley over the years, odds are you have heard about the Box Tops program which gives money back to schools. Even though the program itself is not new, changes are being made with the Box Tops program which is going to implement an App to scan your receipts. 

“Box Tops is phasing out putting the “clip” Box Tops on packages,” explained Tri-Valley Elementary Secretary Joni Bunde. She continued, “They are still honoring the ones that haven’t expired yet but they are totally switching to “scan” your receipts only to redeem Box Tops cash.” 

To participate in the Box Tops program, one can download the Box Tops for Education App and choose what school, or even what classroom, will get credit for the scanned Box Tops. Bunde confirmed the Box Tops item is not actually scanned, just the receipt and the app automatically finds any Box Tops and adds them to the account. 

Each Box Top is worth 10 cents and sometimes there are bonus Box Tops offered such as 20 bonus Box Tops is worth $2, Bunde explained. 

The Tri-Valley Elementary has been participating since at least the year 2000. Over the years, their school’s lifetime earnings from Box Tops is $20,948.09 but has been on a steady decline in their earnings over the last several years, Bunde explained. “It’s very sad because I see the good that comes from having these extra funds available to us,” she said. 

The extra funds go to a variety of areas for the Tri-Valley Elementary. The money helps with things such as Mrs. Johnson’s math club incentives, classroom incentives, field trip “extras” and anything teachers need to order that are not normal school supplies. 

“We haven’t had our Mrs. Johnson’s Math Club this year due to COVID, but on a normal year she would play mat ball with students that made it to 15 points on their morning math. If you made it to 30 points, she would buy ice cream and all the toppings and have an ice cream sundae party where students build their own sundae,” Bunde explained. She continued, “If you make it to 45 points, she orders sub sandwiches and they have a picnic out near our track (weather permitting). Very few make it to the 60-point mark but the ones that make it that far get a gift card reward (ex. Barnes & Nobles).”

“We were having wonderful participation with the “clipped” version of Box Tops. With the new App there has definitely been a slowdown,” said Bunde. If you want to continue to participate in the Tri-Valley Elementary Box Tops program, download the App which is called Box Tops for Education and start scanning today!