The Mississippi Tax Commission sent out a notice to businesses that the sales tax holiday will begin this year on Friday at 12:01 a.m. and end at midnight on Saturday.

The sales tax holiday allows customers to purchase certain articles of clothing or footwear free from the .07 cent state sales tax. The sales price of each article of clothing or footwear must be less than $100 to qualify for the sales tax holiday. Items priced at $100 or more will be taxable during the sales tax holiday.

The following items do not qualify for the sales tax holiday: jewelry, handbags, luggage, umbrellas, wallets, watches, backpacks, briefcases, garment bags, skis, swim fins, roller blades, skates and similar items and accessories.  Local businesses said they were looking forward to seeing how the new law is applied and what the response will be.

School uniforms are generally cost-saving for the most part over the course of the year as it may cut down on other clothing purchases. But up-front expense of initial uniform purchases for the new school year can be a real strain on a family’s budget.

Charter school families sometime have some additional items on their shopping list, depending on the type of school their children attend.  Karin Piper of The Examiner.com lists a few deals and steals being advertised on school uniforms this week:

The group “All God’s Children” is once again planning to give away uniforms and school supplies.  The event will take place August 7 at the Semmes Community Center. In the meantime, though, group members are looking for donations to help the needy…

Read the full story at WGRG.com

With just weeks left until the opening school bell rings, marking the end of unenforced bedtimes, weekday sleepovers, and marathon X-Box sessions – parents of children that wear uniforms to school may still have some lose ends to tie up.

While school uniforms can help ease the stress for parents with back-to-school shopping for the latest fashions, outfitting ever-growing kids with uniforms year after year is another story.

Tracy Ormsbee of Timesunion.com recently listed the following  five tips for making sure back-to-school uniforms are in tip top shape:

1. Check specifications: It’s important to check with the school to find out exactly what the uniform policy entails. You want to make sure all the alterations follow those guidelines.

2. Start early: One of the common complaints on Angie’s List in the alterations category is that clothes are not altered in time. Don’t wait until a week before school starts to get those clothes fitted properly because they might have a back to school rush. Keep in mind shops may also be busy this time of year with wedding alterations.

3. Rely on professionals: If you’re not a savvy seamstress, you run the risk of ruining those newly purchased clothes. Instead, have the alterations done at a reputable company.

4. Shop Around: Prices are fairly consistent across the board, but its quality that makes the difference. Look for company recommendations from family and friends or check out ratings on services such as Angie’s List.

5. Trust is a Must: Alteration companies rarely offer refunds to unhappy customers. It is up to you to find a place that you trust to leave your clothes at whether it’s for one day or one week.

5 of 6 southwest Florida charter schools will require teachers, staff and administrators to wear uniforms this year along with the existing student uniform policy.  School officials say the idea is to create a professional learning environment that encourages students and teachers to focus on the task at hand, rather than what others are wearing.

“It shows camaraderie and school spirit,” said Cape Coral Charter Principal Deborah Nauss. “There also is the security of it. There is no doubt if they are an employee of the school.”

The charter schools are requiring employees to adopt the same style uniforms policy their students wear. Furthermore, employees must purchase uniforms (button-down or polo-style shirts displaying the school logo, along with pants or skirts) through the same company at a cost of $30 to $50 per shirt. 24 public schools in the Lee County School District have enacted mandatory uniform policies for students. Although bus drivers, maintenance workers and other school staff members wear uniforms, there is no formal policy on teacher attire.

Among the schools kicking off the school year in August with full-fledged uniforms are: Bonita Springs Charter, Cape Charter and Six Mile Charter Academy; Gateway Charter and Gateway Charter High’s mandatory employee uniform policy will begin in January.

13 year old Alex Horowitz of Albany, NY saw a huge opportunity come his way as the school year came to an end a few months ago.  Most school supplies get tossed in trash cans as students empty desks, lockers, and backpacks before heading home for the summer.  Traveling to Honduras with his family each summer, Alex has witnessed many of the country’s impoverished communities and the effects it has had on the school-aged generations.

Last year before school ended, Alex decided to make a difference and shared his outreach campaign of collecting old school supplies with other students.

“All they get is the building and the teacher. All the kids there have to buy their own school supplies, their own uniforms and their own pencils,” said Alex.
The Roatan Children’s Fund, which provides relief for poor children, will serve as the liaison to ship the collected supplies to the children of Honduras.

Students enrolled in the Bronx Center for Science and Math High School are learning how to have some discipline. Principal Edward Tom is instilling great values and a promising future in many of his students.  A Magnet high school founded four years ago, is home to many students from low-income families.  Outside on the streets some students live next door to drug dealers, gang members and are victims to close-call shooting sprees.  Inside the school, Principal Tom expects punctuality, a strict dress code including a school uniforms with tie, and timely completion of homework.  The graduation rate in the Bronx is 52%…Principal Tom’s school had a graduation rate of 84% this past year.  These students are scholarship recipients, future college graduates and working professional all thanks to what Principal Tom says has come from receiving his “tough love” throughout their high school career.

Jefferson County schools in Kentucky are getting ready to spring into the new year with new students, supplies, and uniforms.  Parents are being handed a school supply list for their student and some may pay up to $800 in supplies alone.  In addition to that, school uniforms are mandatory in most schools and parents are afraid of the added expense.  It seems as though the “free” education system is no longer free.   The school system no longer has funds to help families in need.

Morning View Baptist Chuch in Montgomery, Alabama is now taking donations for school uniforms.  Uniforms in need are shirts in red, white, yellow, or navy blue and pants in khaki or navy blue. You may drop off new or gently used girls or boys sizes 6-18 at the church or send to:
Morningview Baptist Church
125 Calhoun Road
Montgomery, AL 36109
Phone: (334) 272-2304