Plastic for pencils? Bag fee could help school district

A potential plastic bag fee could help purchase school supplies for students in Las Cruces Public Schools.

“I really wanted to do something to help children,” said Ray Jaramillo, a school board member for the district.

Jaramillo will ask the Las Cruces City Council to implement a fifteen cent fee on each plastic bag at grocery stores across town. The board member said he hopes six cents of that fee will go to purchasing school supplies for all of Las Cruces, calling it a “win-win” proposal.

“One, by protecting the environment by reducing the use of plastic bags,” Jaramillo said. “(Also), by providing new money that would go back to the students, parents, and obviously the teachers that fund their classroom.”

“Raising money for the schools is fantastic,” said Rob Baur, the manager of Toucan Market, which did not close for business after all. “There’s nothing wrong with helping schools out. I think education is important.”

One of his customers told ABC-7 she was willing to spend the money to help.

“I would,” said Kitty Walker. “The teachers should not have to pay out of their meager salary for school supplies.”

“It appears to have a lot of good merit,” said Mayor Ken Miyagishima.

However, he said he did know if the city was allowed to fundraise for the district.

“There’s a certain funding formula that can’t be deviated, because you didn’t want to show favoritism to once school or the other,” Miyagishima said.