BEAUMONT, Texas — Typically when you walk past a vending machine you'll see snacks and sodas, but at Hamshire-Fannett Elementary, you will find something completely unexpected.
The school's principal calls this new investment priceless.
B7 isn't a honey bun or even a Dr. Pepper. It's Charlotte's Web, and B8 is a Hank The Dog book.
Miller said this unique vending machine was donated by the school PTA.
Marion Campbell is the PTA treasurer. She said they received donations from banks, stores, and restaurants to stock this machine up with a variety of books.
“We could stock it with books that we think is right,” Campbell said. “But we're parents, you know what, who better to get it from but the teachers and the kids? So, we went around asking, you know, 'Hey, what do y'all want to see in here? What do you want to strive to get?'”
This vending machine doesn't take quarters or even dollar bills.
It only takes golden tokens, and they're earned by good behavior in the classroom.
Children choose books based on their reading level. Campbell said her son and his classmates love it.
“But whenever he feels like he earned something, he selected it himself. He's much more interested in it,” Campbell said.
Reading levels range from Pre-K starting at the bottom to third grade.
The children are excited about a different kind of treat.
“My youngest is in kindergarten, and he was like, I get a book every year. And I was like, absolutely,” Campbell said.
If you are interested in giving a monetary donation, you can contact Marion Campbell-Hamshire-Fannett PTA treasurer at (409) 273-1746.