Lowcountry teachers, parents preparing for tax-free weekend

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – Tax-free weekend is almost here and Lowcountry teachers said they will be taking full advantage of it to buy school supplies.

Michelle Nichols is an eighth-grade teacher at Moultrie Middle School. She said the state provides teachers a $275 check for certain supplies every year. She also said some schools have department funds that can be used for classroom supplies, but outside of those options, teachers are left to pay out of pocket.

The costs can add up, especially for educators who are just starting out.

“There are a lot of new teachers out there, that need school supplies. They need to begin their collection so to speak, and it’s expensive to get started,” said Nichols. “So, I don’t know how much that $275, how far that would go.”

South Carolina’s annual tax-free weekend comes just in time for teachers and parents, who both said they will use it as an opportunity to buy back-to-school essentials.

“I know when they have the sale for five-cent erasers or pencils, I go buy as many as I can and so that way when students come in, I have stuff for them,” said Nichols.

Andrea Maldonado is a mom of three. Two of her children will be going back to school in the fall.

“Everything has gone up in price right now, so we need to take advantage of all of those discounts,” said Maldonado.

Tax-free weekend kicks off on Friday, August 5, and runs through Sunday, August 7.

The first day of school in Charleston County is August 17.