The ‘Load the Bus’ initiative kicks off Friday, an opportunity for you to help make sure students have the supplies they need to start the school year with success.
The goal? To fill the bus with backpacks, notebooks, glue sticks, crayons, and other school supplies, so kids are ready as they head back to the classroom. Buses will be parked outside Walmart stores across the Roanoke Valley, and all donations will support students in Salem, Roanoke City and County, and Craig County public schools.
The campaign runs through Tax-Free Weekend and ends on Aug. 3. On Friday, buses will be there from 3 to 7 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
We talked with Hunter Routt, the director of administrative services for Salem City Public Schools, who has served as a principal in elementary, middle, and high schools.
“Not all families come to us with equal background to be able to supply that, but if we can bridge that gap with these initiatives like ‘Load the Bus’ and make sure that every child comes into a class with those supplies that match their peers and to give them that level of confidence, then I think that’s a huge leg up for the start of the school year,” Routt said.
She mentioned they’re always looking for glue sticks, scissors, and crayons for younger students, as well as pens, binders, and notebooks for middle and high schoolers.
About 3,500 students attend Salem City schools, and supplies are given first to those who need them most.