As summer draws to a close, kids are preparing to return to school.
While parents get ready to pay for uniforms and school supplies, and students prepare for the school year, here's what to know about when school starts and the back-to-school sales tax holiday.
What is included in Florida's tax-free holiday?
In June, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB7031, a $1.3 billion tax cut package that includes replacing Florida’s back-to-school tax-free weekend with an entire month of tax-free sales on school supplies.
The sales tax holiday runs from Aug. 1 through Aug. 31, according to the Florida Department of Revenue.
Here's what is included in the sales tax holiday.
Personal computers or personal computer-related accessories purchased for noncommercial home or personal use, having a sales price of $1,500 or less, including:
Calculators
Desktops
Electronic book readers
Handhelds
Laptops
Tablets
Tower computers
Personal computer-related accessories, including:
Keyboards
Mice
Modems
Monitors
Nonrecreational software
Other peripheral devices
Personal digital assistants
Routers
Wallets and bags having a sales price of $100 or less per item, including:
Backpacks
Diaper bags
Fanny packs
Handbags
Briefcases, suitcases, and other garment bags are excluded.
School supplies having a sales price of $50 or less per item, including:
Binders
Cellophane tape
Compasses
Composition books
Computer disks
Construction paper
Crayons
Erasers
Folders
Glue or paste
Legal pads
Lunch boxes
Markers
Notebooks
Notebook filler paper
Pencils
Pens
Poster board
Poster paper
Protractors
Rulers
Scissors
Staplers and staples used to secure paper products
Learning aids and jigsaw puzzles having a sales price of $30 or less, including:
Flashcards or other learning cards
Interactive or electronic books and toys intended to teach reading or math skills
Matching or other memory games
Puzzle books and search-and-find books
Stacking or nesting blocks or sets
Clothing, footwear, and accessories having a sales price of $100 or less per item, including:
The term does not include cell phones, video game consoles, digital media receivers, or devices that are not primarily designed to process data.
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When is the first day of school in Indian River County?
The first day of school in Indian River County is Aug. 11.
When is the first day of school in Martin County?
The first day of school in Martin County is Aug. 11.
When is the first day of school in St. Lucie County?
The first day of school in St. Lucie County is Aug. 11.
Did Treasure Coast schools switch start times?
In 2023, a new state law required middle schools to begin no earlier than 8 a.m., and high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m., citing studies that showed teens perform better with a later start to their school day.
However, after school districts complained that changing school start times would cost millions to alter school bus routes, state lawmakers considered alternatives.
SB 296, which took effect July 1, allows school districts to comply if they report their school start times and detail the steps they've taken to implement later start times at middle and high schools. The report must describe the impact later start times would have on the district and any unintended consequences to the school district, students and the community.
Here's where each county stands in its start times:
Martin: No changes are planned for the 2025-2026 school year. In 2024, the district adjusted its start times slightly to be one of the first to comply with the 2023 law.
St. Lucie: No schedule adjustments are planned to school start times in St. Lucie County schools. The district's middle schools already comply, beginning at 9:30 a.m. and 9:40 a.m.
Indian River: Middle and high school students will see no changes in start times for the 2025-2026 school year, but the district may still survey parents to gauge interest in adjusting the start times, TCPalm reported.
Gianna Montesano is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at [email protected], 772-409-1429, or follow her on X @gonthescene.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: When is school tax free holiday in Florida? First day of school
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