Usually, parents snatch up school supplies as soon as they come out, and only a few wait to buy crayons and notebooks until the last lazy days of summer.
This year, all of that will change.
Gov. Timothy Kaine signed a bill into law designating the first Friday, Saturday and Sunday of each August as sales tax-free days for school supplies.
The law not only includes conventional school supplies like pens and paper -- clothes and shoes are also exempt from the sales tax on those days.
But there is a catch. Only school supplies that cost less than $20 per item or clothing or shoes that cost less than $100 per item are exempt from the sales tax.
The bill, along with another bill that sets guidelines for colleges in reducing textbook costs, were both passed in the Virginia General Assembly in hopes to lower education costs for students and their families.
Virginia is not alone in the sales tax holiday. Neighboring states Maryland and North Carolina, as well as Washington, D.C., all give their residents a break from the sales tax for school supply shopping as well.
"I come from a state with no sales tax at all," first-year Engineering student Ranjan Khan said. "It's less hassle."
First-year Engineering student Jack McKay also said he believed the suspension of sales tax on some items for the three days will be valuable to state residents.
"I think it eases the fiscal burden on the individual consumer," McKay said.
In addition to saving consumers money, Khan highlighted the benefits to the state.
"I commute to Delaware to buy large stuff, so this will promote business in Virginia," Khan said.
First-year College student Megan Schaedel said she does not see the benefits of such a law.
"I don't really notice the sales tax when I make a purchase," Schaedel said. "It seems like a lot of money for the state to lose for me to save two dollars."
Another drawback Khan mentioned was the possibility of a rush where people would buy all of their school supplies over one weekend.
"This might cause another December holiday season," Khan said. "But right now, I don't see any repercussions."
Despite the benefits, McKay said he found a weakness with the law in the inclusion of clothes and shoes.
"I think it should just stay with school supplies so it focuses on the people they are trying to help -- families with school-age children," McKay said.
Schaedel voiced similar concerns over the law.
"When I think of school supplies, I think of printer paper, not clothes and shoes," Schaedel said. "I go to Office Max, not the mall."
In McKay's opinion, adding in clothes and shoes broadens the rewards of the law to people who are not meant to benefit.
"If they wanted to broaden it, then give a tax refund or lower the state taxes," McKay said.
The real question is whether people will take advantage of the sales tax holiday.
"Maybe I'll shop," McKay said. "If I'm going to be shopping around those days."
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