Pens, pencils, backpacks, notebooks and more are front and center in store displays as back-to-school shopping is in full swing. July is half gone, and local children face less than a month left of summer vacation before they embark on a new academic year.

 

While many of us remember fondly the thrill of picking out a new backpack or lunchbox and carefully selecting the ideal notebooks for each subject, this time of year also highlights disparity in our communities.

 

A report from Intuit Credit Karma released Thursday found 39% of parents report they are unable to afford the necessary back-to-school supplies, and 44% plan to use debt to buy the necessities. Additionally, more than half of parents surveyed for the report said they would reduce other necessities such as groceries to make up for the added expense.

 

In Mississippi, the poorest state in the nation, the cost of equipping our children to learn falls even harder. In Meridian, where almost 32% of residents fall beneath the poverty line, back-to-school shopping can be an insurmountable expense.

 

It is in times like this that there is opportunity for the community to step up and lend a hand.

 

As the summer break winds down, consider adding some basic school supplies to your weekly shopping list. There are a number of local school supply drives that will gladly accept donations, and individual teachers and schools often keep a small stock on hand as well.

 

Local organizations are also often involved in the back-to-school effort, and the United Way, The Salvation Army, and other groups that work in the community will be more than happy to point both material and monetary donations to where they are most needed.

 

Every child has the right to learn, and it should go without saying that every child should also have the dignity of going to school with the tools they need to succeed. As a community, we can step up and give that to them.