CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The countdown is on to the new school year for many, which means students will need supplies.
There are multiple free school supply events around the Coastal Bend, helping parents with those rising costs.
More than five years ago, the South Texas Vocational Technical Institute, or STVT, began a "bring your own backpack" event to give school supplies to those needing extra help. They join school districts like Ingleside Independent School District who are hosting their own event next week.
Students and their families were lined up to get school supplies at STVT on Friday. Organizers said people were out there for at least an hour before the event started earlier that evening.
"We know that there's families that are struggling just to get their kids off to a good start, and education is the key," STVT executive director Kimberly Knox said.
She said the school purchased thousands of dollars worth of supplies and also received donations from community businesses. She said at least 500 students usually come every year, and they keep going until they run out of supplies.
Joshua Pena lives in Flour Bluff and has four kids who attend Flour Bluff ISD. He said they were excited to get supplies so they can be ready for the new school year.
"My wife actually works here, so to bring the kids and to be able to get some supplies, it really helps, you know, and we appreciate it," Pena said.
Ingleside ISD begins school on August 14. To make sure students are ready, they will host a similar event on Monday called a back-to-school bash. As a parent himself, Ingleside ISD Superintendent Scott Kilgore said he knows school supplies can be expensive.
"Parents are struggling to make ends meet, and school supplies are not getting cheaper," Kilgore said.
He said the district is working with local partners like Communities in School and the United Way to get school supply donations. He added that a partnership with nonprofit TEXAS YES Project will bring donations for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
"Anything that we can do as a district to help facilitate that, I know that our parents appreciate it, and our students do, because it really takes a lot of stress off of them," Kilgore said.
Knox mentioned that she also noticed how much the price of school supplies increased over the last few years. She said she wants all students to have a good foundation and for families to not have to struggle to pay for supplies.