Schools Overcome Budget Cuts By Collecting, Selling Gently Used Clothing

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Schools across the country are struggling to raise money, as programs for art and music, as well as field trips are being cut.

But as CBS2's Cindy Hsu reported, one school in Brooklyn has been raising money to save those programs.

Kids were having a blast at Family Fun Day at P.S. 9 in Prospect Heights.

"We like to do carnivals!" Riley Fulton said.

Scott Manter-Goldberg said he liked "playing football, because I have the football we were playing with."

And Sidney Hoffman said she watched dance show and it was really fun.

Indeed, this year was better than ever with pony rides and a petting zoo.

It's all thanks to Schoola, which helps schools raise money by having parents donate gently used clothes and pieces that are unclaimed from the lost and found.

Vivian Epstein is a parent and said the school lost and found is overflowing.

"Most of the time it's like sweatshirts, jackets, hats, scarves, and gloves," she said.

Here's how it works; you sign up with Schoola and order a free donation bag.

"All you do is fill it with the clothes you want to send in. It already has a prepaid label, just make sure you include your school name, drop it in the mail, we then take the clothes, photograph them, put them up on the website, and sell the clothing," Jana Ross explained.

The school gets 40 percent of the money from the sales. P.S. 9 made more than $30,000 in just a few months. This year they're using the money for events like family fun day and field trips.

"We can't do a lot of field trips at our school because it's just not in our budget, and a lot of parents just can't afford to send that extra money," Co-PTO President, Alicia Nosenzo said.

It's not only schools getting involved. If you have gently used clothes at home that you'd like to get rid of you can also donate them to Schoola and just choose a school you'd like to help.

Parents say it's a win.

A former principal started Schoola about two years ago with just five schools. It's now grown to 20,000 schools nationwide.