The drive is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3 at three Walmart stores, located at 3351 S. Ferdon Blvd. in Crestview, 748 Beal Parkway NW in Fort Walton Beach, and 1300 E. John Sims Parkway in Niceville, respectively.
The first day of school for students is Aug. 12.
“In 2023, our collective efforts led to the collection of over $12,000 worth of supplies, impacting over 10,000 students in 53 schools across Okaloosa and Walton counties,” School District officials said today in a news release. “This is a testament to the power of our community’s generosity. Without your support, students would lack the supplies they need to be successful during the school year.”
District Superintendent Marcus Chambers said, “Any help you can give to allow our students to have their supplies would be greatly appreciated. I want to thank the Okaloosa County Teachers Federal Credit Union, Okaloosa Public Schools Foundation, Walmart, Cumulus Media, and the community at large for supporting our students and providing the school supplies they need to kick off the new school year and be successful throughout the year.”
Here are the most-needed supplies:
- Crayons (Crayola preferred)
- Colored pencils
- Washable markers
- Dry erase markers
- Folders
- Backpacks
- #2 Pencils (Dixon/Ticonderoga preferred)
- Mechanical pencils
- Glue sticks
- Notebooks
- Composition notebooks
- Binders (1 or 1 1/2 inch)
- Cap erasers
- Scissors (Fiskars preferred)
The state of Florida’s back-to-school sales tax holiday will be held from July 29 to Aug. 11. During this period, qualifying items will be exempt from tax, including:
- Certain school supplies selling for $50 or less per item
- Specific clothing, footwear, and accessories selling for $100 or less per item
- Personal computers and related accessories purchased for noncommercial home or personal use selling for $1,500 or less.
To view locations where donated school supplies can be dropped off outside of the Stuff the Bus event, visit https://www2.okaloosaschools.com/page/stuff-the-bus.