A student-run bookstore is scheduled to open at Baldwin High School this week.
Students will be able to purchase a variety of Baldwin labeled apparel and class materials, such as $15 sweatshirts.
"We want to make sure we're catering to various groups of students," said Baldwin High School principal Kevin O'Toole.
The store will sell between 150 and 200 items, including sweatshirts, T-shirts, flannel pajama pants and golf shirts.
"A month ago, I didn't know what a Johnny collar was," O'Toole said. "There's a lot of moving parts to it. We're trying to reach a higher level of school spirit."
Other school-spirit items, such as stickers, lanyards and car magnets, will be sold, too, O'Toole said.
"We're also going to try to put the 'book' in bookstore," O'Toole said.
Novels that fit into the curriculum, such as "A Tale of Two Cities," will be sold in the bookstore. Select motivational or inspirational books, such as "Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul," also will be on sale.
The store will include computer software programs and school supplies, O'Toole said. "It's neat. It's really come together," O'Toole said.
The store is considered to be an experiment, but ties in to multiple classes in the curriculum, O'Toole said.
Special education students in life skills programs will work in the store as training; accounting students will be responsible for the bookkeeping and recordkeeping; graphics and interior design students will work to create logos for the merchandise and provide more attractive space around the store; and interested students will do marketing for and manage the store, O'Toole said.
"Some tremendous ideas have come out of the business department," O'Toole said.
The Baldwin-Whitehall School District provided the seed money for the bookstore, which was about $5,000. Once sales begin, any money earned will go back in to the store, O'Toole said.
"We do not want to make money off of kids," O'Toole said.
Alana Gilchrist, a freshman, poked her head into the room and looked around.
"When will the store be opened⢠I want a hoodie," she said. "I think you should get some with football numbers on the back."
O'Toole told her the store will be open every morning before school and on some days during lunch periods, beginning this week. Also, he applauded Gilchrist's idea.
"That's been happening a lot," O'Toole said. "It's been a little bit of a secret. They're really, really excited."
O'Toole assembled a student focus group composed of class officers for each grade last fall. The group spent about an hour and a half giving opinions about what they would like to see in the store and what prices they were willing to pay.
"Our kids are very astute shoppers," O'Toole said.
