Caldwell residents can turn their trash into a source of school funding.
On Tuesday afternoon, officials from the Caldwell School District, Republic Services, the United Way of Treasure Valley, the YMCA and others announced a new curbside recycling partnership that will benefit Caldwell’s P16 program.
Under the deal, Republic Services will send $1 per month from every curbside customer within Caldwell School District boundaries to the program.
The P16 program includes preschool, an out-of-school program and a career planning component that is designed to encourage students to stick with school until completing post-secondary studies, or the 16th grade.
Caldwell superintendent Tim Rosandick said the partnership helps secure the future of P16, which has produced encouraging results in its first three years.
“More kids are coming into kindergarten classrooms ready to learn,” Rosandick said. “More kids are leaving our system and going into college and continuing their education after graduation.”
The curbside program costs $4.95 per month in Caldwell and includes use of a blue 95-gallon container. Republic Services and city officials will donate $1 from every customer’s monthly bill to P16.
That means that if 2,000 district residents sign up for recycling and stick with the program, P16 would stand to receive $24,000 per year.
Dave Fisher, Republic Services general manager, said he found out about P16 during a tour of the program last year. Then he contacted Caldwell Mayor Garrett Nancolas and Rosandick about helping out.
Fisher said the aspect of P16 that he was most impressed with is that educators talk to students about going on to college from a young age.
“I don’t remember anyone ever asking me if I was going to go to college while I was in high school,” Fisher said. “A lot of times you just need someone to ask, and (with P16) that way it’s clear from preschool up through college.”
Republic Services will accept newspapers, magazines, tin, aluminum, cardboard and more for the no-sort collection. Then, Republic Services crews will pick up the recycling every other week, on customers’ normal trash collection days.
Caldwell School District residents who have questions or wish to sign up may call Republic Services at 466-3302.
