Are you ready for school to begin? Tax Free Weekend has now begun

DAYTON, Ohio — Schools in the Miami Valley are getting geared up to return to class next week, which means Tax Free Weekend begins today.

At Meijer in Miami Twp., News Center 7′s Kayla Courvell ran into Mark Eads who stopped by to get a jump start on back-to-school shopping for his three grandkids.

“Pencils, erasers, glue, all the normal binders, tablets, all kinds of things,” Eads said.

>> Back to School: Start dates, mask policies & virtual plans for local districts

However, he was expecting to see more options.

He said, “Normally they have five or six aisles filled with school supplies. A lot of them are empty.”

Retailers said they are seeing a shortage of school supplies. While Meijer has plenty of school supplies, there were some shelves that were left empty.

Eads said he worried if he waited any longer, his grandkids wouldn’t have what they need to head back. So, he’s checking out his options ahead of Tax-Free Weekend.

“This year we waited due to COVID and we waited and now it seems like we have to scrounge around and see if we can find everything,” Eads said.

>> CDC to recommend masks for all at K-12 schools; Ohio releases new school guidance

There are quite a few items that are exempt from those taxes. Some of those include clothing items at $75 or less, school supplies that are $20 or less, and school instructional supplies that are $20 or less.

Eads said h hopes during Tax Free Weekend that he will be able to save at least some money before the start of the school year.

“I think it will cost more. Everything is costing more,” he said.

Tax Free Weekend will run until 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

©2021 Cox Media Group