Back To School: Hillsborough County 2023-24 School Calendar

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — The summer has seemingly flown by, and now parents are scurrying to collect an assortment of notebooks, pens, pencils, glue and calculators on their kids' mandatory classroom supply lists.

Thanks to the Florida Legislature, which approved the Back-To-School Sales Tax Holiday from July 24 through Aug. 6, many Floridians have already purchased back-to-school items tax-free. Those who haven't may pay a bit more with the addition of sales tax, but many retail stores throughout Hillsborough County are now offering sales on items that will offset the sales taxes.

At Target, teachers and school staff who are members of the Target Circle will receive 20 percent off school supplies through Aug. 26.

Walmart makes it easy to shop for classroom supplies. Just enter the name of the school and grade to find the classroom supply list.

And Best Buy is hosting sales on computers and associated technology, dorm accessories and school essentials.

The Legislature also approved a second sales tax exemption for back-to-school items for the second half of the school year. The exemption period runs from Monday, Jan. 1, to Sunday, Jan. 14.

With the help of various nonprofit and government organizations, students attending Title 1 schools with a majority of children from low-income families will receive free backpacks loaded with school supplies.

More than 500 school backpacks were given out July 29 at the 16th annual Back-to-School Fair sponsored by Tampa Bay Parenting and WestShore Plaza.

At Backpack Hero Day on July 29 at the Bay Life Church campus in Brandon, parents were able to learn about school resources and children in East Hillsborough County received backpacks stuffed with school supplies.

At the July 22 Preschool and Kindergarten Summer Bash hosted by school board member Stacy Hahn at Lamb Elementary, students at Lamb, Frost, Ippolito, Palm River, Bing and Clair Mel elementary schools received free backpacks and books.

And the Community Schools Unity Fest for Edison, Broward and Potter elementary schools gave out free backpacks and haircuts to kids.

The Hillsborough Education Foundation is continuing to collect donations of school supplies through September for the foundation's Teaching Tools Resource Center.

The center allows Hillsborough County Public Schools teachers to shop for free supplies and resources. Nearly 300 teachers have already filled their carts with classroom necessities and goodies since the store reopened July 20.

Residents can help HEF keep most-needed items in stock by donating through its Amazon.com wish list by clicking here.

This week, 60 students from across Tampa went on a shopping spree during the Back-to-School Shop With a Cop event. Each student was nominated by an officer who met them as they patrolled the community, worked with them as a school resource officer or forged a relationship by participating in the Tampa Police Department Bigs in Blue program.

Donations for the event came from the Tampa Police Foundation, business and community partners and Rise Tampa.

And during a Tampa summer tradition hosted by the Bullard Family Foundation, more than 500 volunteers joined forces to fill 30,000 backpacks with all the essentials for school year, which were distributed July 29 at the sixth annual Bullard Family Foundation Back-to-School Bash at Raymond James Stadium. The event was hosted in partnership with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and presented by AdventHealth, Fran Haasch Law Group and Skanska.

During the event, students received a free backpack with school supplies, free medical, dental and vision services and complimentary haircuts.

Tampa resident, former WWE superstar and current WWE global ambassador Titus O'Neil, whose real name is Thaddeus Bullard, has championed Tampa Bay school districts, adopting the low-income Sligh Middle School five years ago, which named its magnet school program the Thaddeus M. Bullard Academy in honor of Bullard.

The Bullard Family Foundation recruited more than 100 corporate and community partners to give the students at the school access to leadership training, the arts, technology, sports programs and purchased laptop computers for students during the pandemic. Additionally, the foundation offered workforce development training and support services to parents of students at the school.

"Where's the best place to start any transformation? Education," he told Patch in an interview. "I want this to be like a haven for this neighborhood. I want to develop a culture of health and wellness and pride."

Bullard's foundation has also built five innovation labs at schools in the Tampa Bay area, which double as incentive rooms during the school day and a safe space after school.

His Cops and Cleats program has collected more than 8,000 pairs of football cleats for kids in youth leagues and on high school football teams.

And the BFF Tennis Academy gives 250 children from seven Boys & Girls Clubs in Tampa Bay the opportunity to receive tennis instruction from the United States Tennis Association.

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“There are thousands of students and teachers in need of resources in our school district,” said Bullard. “I’m so honored by how our foundation’s corporate partners have stepped up again in a big way to ensure our students are prepared for the start of school, not only with backpacks and school supplies, but also with haircuts, and health services and so much more. It goes without saying that we are all richer for giving.”

For the 16th consecutive year, Ice Cold Air franchisees in Tampa Bay hosted three backpack giveaways at stores including one on Aug. 3 at 3902 S Westshore Blvd., Tampa, where backpacks stuffed with school supplies were given away to preregistered students.

“Fifteen years ago, we looked at the Back-to-School Bash as a marketing opportunity. We put our logos on the backpacks," said Ice Cold Air franchisor Ashley Butler. "Throughout the years of hosting the drives and bashes, something shifted and we realized that the donations are not about us being seen but for the child to feel seen. In January, I became the franchisor and now we have the opportunity to show other franchisees how good it feels to help kids in their communities go back to school.”

The community at large benefits as well.

"They get to donate the supplies and they get a free oil change," said Butler. "The guidance counselors at the schools get to participate since they get the overflow. Adrien, our director of marketing, will take the extra supplies to the schools in the area with the lowest amount of support. Over the past 15 years we have figured out many different ways to support the community and the back-to-school events are my favorite.”

Ice Cold Air stores include the Westshore store and a store at 410 S Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa.

Here is the back-to-school calendar for children attending Hillsborough County public schools and virtual school. Parents of students attending private, parochial and charter schools in Hillsborough County should check the school's website for important dates including the first day of school, holiday breaks and other days off.

Photos by professional freelance photographer Kimberly DeFalco. DeFalco can be contacted through her Facebook page or her Instagram page.