CalKids comes to the Central Coast

The California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program came to the Alisal Union School District on Thursday, helping students and parents enroll in the program. Students can get up to $1500 towards their future college education.

Thursday's workshop happened at Montebella Elementary School in Salinas. The Alisal School District's Superintendent, Jim Koenig, says that older kids, like high schoolers, are more likely to enroll in the program on their own, but the younger kids need that extra push to prepare for their futures.

In order to get parents' attention, the district has been putting on workshops like this one, along with setting up tables for parents to enroll their child as they are being picked up from Summer School from one of the 3 district schools with students this summer. Koenig says that about 16% of the district's students have been signed up for the program.

School officials say that it is especially important to get that influx of cash in the college fund when the kids are young, so the money can go further as it accrues interest over the years.