Fewer Fliers Sent Home as Schools Put More on Web

School districts across the country are aggressively cutting back on the avalanche of paper sent home, trying to exploit the much-cheaper communication channel of the Internet. While saving money is often the main motivation, some districts are finding that going paperless has other advantages, like eliminating classroom distractions, informing parents more quickly about test results or swine flu outbreaks, and promoting environmentalism. But the demise of the time-honored tradition of letters stuffed in backpacks has worried educators and parents who say that some families still do not have regular access to the Internet and may miss important information — and not even know it. So districts like William Floyd, also on Long Island, have moved cautiously online, posting class assignments and schedules on its Web site but continuing to mail printed copies home.