LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Parents are getting ready for their kids to go back to school. But along with shopping for clothes, shoes and supplies, they are also thinking about COVID-19.
This year’s nine-day tax free holiday means parents will save a lot of money on back to school shopping but with the switch from remote learning to in-person, they won’t save nearly as much as last year.
According to the national retail federation people could spend around eight hundred dollars compared to an average of sixty dollars last year.
On parent tells me, last year’s switch to remote learning cut down her spending but she’s excited for her second grader to go back to school.
“She actually went remote in March of her kindergarten year and has not seen a classroom since.”
Allison Laroza says she’s also thinking about COVID-19. So, she’s been teaching her daughter about sanitizing and staying away from sick people. But she doesn’t want her daughter to be required to wear a mask all day.
“If they are in a crowded area and a ton of them are right next to each other, I don’t think it would be a bad thing. But I don’t think she should have to wear it all day long,” she said. “I think they should try to separate desk and things like that because at this age they are not going to keep them on, they’re not going to be comfortable and she’s not going to learn if she’s super uncomfortable and playing with it the whole time.”
Lee county schools will require students to wear masks, but parents can sign a form staring Monday to opt their child out of wearing a face covering.
