Hutto, Texas School Gets Creative With Fundraising

Like schools across the country, the Hutto, Texas School District is in trouble -- it's $4 million dollars over budget. To avoid making layoffs, the district needs new sources of revenue, and it's looking to an odd mascot for help -- the hippo.

As reported by AP, statues of the large herbivores adorn the town's fire station, mechanic shop and tanning salon. Soon, the hippo will also be a coveted logo on hats and t-shirts, raising millions for area schools -- at least, that's what the district's superintendent hopes.

"At first I thought that it was really kinda crazy," says parent Pete Thomsen, in reaction to the district's unique fundraising strategy. "But the more you start to hear about the alternatives to what they're gonna do without having additional sources of revenue, you start to understand that, boy, these guys are really trying hard."

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To contribute to the Hutto Independent School District, please visit the Hutto Education Foundation.

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