Dixon’s Tools for School unpacks hope for children

DIXON – A new school year can arrive with the promise of sharpened pencils, clean notebooks and a backpack ready to be filled.For some families, though, those basics become another calculation: How do you afford the supplies your child needs when bills and groceries already compete for the same dollars? And the numbers can really add up for families who have several children.In Dixon, a community- and teacher-supported program helps ease that burden.Tools for School provides Dixon Public Schools students with backpacks and school supplies at no charge, primarily serving families who qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Its annual distribution event — this year’s took place Aug. 6 — also brings together a collection of community resources that give families an opportunity to find additional services in one place before the school year begins. The program does not turn anyone away.Behind the effort are three Dixon teachers who spend the year preparing for a single day: Mandy Dallas,