Back-to-school drives save Lima families money

LIMA — Parents who need help affording school supplies will have several opportunities over the next week to pick up donated supplies, clothes and hygiene products — or save money on sales tax through Ohio’s sales tax holiday.

Lima schools and the UAW Local 1765 will give away free backpacks, school supplies and hygiene products to any child, regardless of which school district they attend, from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8, in Martin Luther King Park.

Families are encouraged to return gently used uniforms, which will be washed and distributed to families in need for the coming school year.

Then on Saturday, Aug. 10, the South Lima Community Development Corporation will give away food, uniforms and winter clothes from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Philippian Church, 190 E. 8th St., Lima.

Children must be present for families to accept donations from either event.

“It’s fun to watch them, because their eyes light up when they see that one thing that they love,” Lima schools Superintendent Jill Ackerman said during a press conference with Mayor Sharetta Smith on Wednesday.

“It means a lot to know that they’re going to be ready to go on day one and have everything that they need, because we have a big community that loves them and supports them.”

A National Retail Federation/Prosper Analytics survey found parents expect to spend an average of $874 on clothing, shoes, school supplies and electronics for the coming school year, which is roughly $15 less than last year’s record $890 per household.

That record is partially the result of record investments in electronics, said Phil Rist, executive vice president of strategy for Prosper Analytics.

Sixty-nine percent of back-to-school shoppers plan to purchase a laptop, tablet or other electronic device for their student, Rist said in a news release. “These are typically items students can use for several years, which may be why we are seeing slightly less interest in electronics this year.”

The survey found parents of children entering K-12 schools are planning to spend an average of $309 on electronics alone.

College students and their families anticipate spending an average of $1,364 for the coming school year, similar to last year’s record.

Ohio’s sales tax holiday could help lower the final cost of those purchases.

The sales tax holiday is underway now through 11:59 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8. Ohioans won’t be charged sales tax online or in stores for most items priced at $500 or less.

Lawmakers started the holiday in 2015 to make back-to-school shopping more affordable by temporarily lifting the sales tax on certain purchases. They greatly expanded the holiday this year from three to 10 days and lifted the threshold on tax-exempt items to $500 per item, with some exceptions like alcoholic beverages, tobacco, cannabis products and motor vehicles.