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Back-to-school costs are coming - NC is asking for help now
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Back-to-school costs are coming - NC is asking for help now

Posted: 6/22/2026, 10:14:46 PM

It may seem a bit early, but the state is already thinking about kids heading back to school.

While kids may be focused on how they're spending their time at camp or on summer vacation, parents and guardians may be considering just how much they'll have to save to afford school supplies come August.

Governor Josh Stein announced the start of the annual state-wide school supplies donation program partnering with local organizations including the North Carolina Parent Teacher Association, SECU, Boys & Girls Clubs of North Carolina, and Communities in Schools of North Carolina.

Requested supplies include: 

  • Paper – all types, including copy paper 
    • Pens and pencils 
      • Crayons and markers 
        • Dry erase markers 
          • Fidget toys 
            • Headphones 
              • Spiral notebooks 
                • Sanitizing wipes 
                  • Tissues 

                    Community members can find the tall blue boxes at some state agency buildings and all State Employees Credit Union locations through the end of July.

                    “We recognize how important it is to help in the effort to keep costs down as much as possible for our families in North Carolina," said credit union president Leigh W. Brady.

                    Last year, K-12 families budgeted an average of $144.77 on school supplies, according to the National Retail Federation. But once you factor in clothes, technology and things like activity fees and sports gear, the average family spent $858.07 on average.

                    "We’ll use the same book bag as last year, so it's not the school supplies, it's more the school clothes," parent Jenna Butts said about saving for school.

                    Butts is thankful her child's Wake County elementary school offers a basic pack of what he’ll need at a reasonable price.

                    "Because I would have gotten the fancy pencil box or the Minecraft folders and spent probably way more. This I was able to say $40, that’s good for me," Butts said.

                    North Carolina did away with its tax break on school supplies in 2013, however both neighboring Virginia and South Carolina still have the program in place, which some parents say they utilize when driving to and from vacation.

                    It's a little too early to see any deals at traditional office supply stores and grocery stores, but summer sales begin later this week at many big box retailers like Amazon, Target and Walmart. Community members could consider adding something to their cart for a local teacher or student.

                    All the donations collected will go to kids and educators in the county where they were dropped off.