A back-to-school tax break

Hello, everyone. Children's reporter Rachel Wegner , back with the latest on education, kids and more.

Believe it or not, back-to-school time is just around the corner in Tennessee, with some districts starting as early as next week .

Trying to stay on top of the back-to-school supplies list and all the other details that come with getting ready for the year? Districts like Metro Nashville Public Schools , Williamson County Schools and others have back-to-school hubs on their websites.

With the first day of school creeping ever closer, that also means Tennessee's annual sales tax holiday is coming up. Things like computers, school supplies and clothing will be tax-free both online and in person. Tax-free weekend kicks off first thing this Friday (July 26) at 12:01 a.m. and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday (July 28). The tax-free weekend shaves off the 7% state sales tax and local sales tax, which usually falls between 2-3%.

Read the full rundown of what to know from trending reporter Diana Leyva for more.

Here are a few other noteworthy tidbits from the last week:

• The Tennessee Department of Education released district-level TCAP scores last week. Plug your district into search bar at ReportCard.TNedu.gov and click the "2024 TCAP district results" tab across the top navigation bar. Important to note: Math scores only reflect grades 3-8. High school scores will be added later this year.
• The deadline to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as FAFSA , is coming up on Aug. 1. That's later than usual, due to glitches and issues with the rollout of a new FAFSA form. Read more about it here or head straight to StudentAid.gov to start the form. Remember: FAFSA isn't just for securing federal aid — it's also required for all students who wish to receive any form of financial aid, including scholarships, grants and other assistance.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: A back-to-school tax break