Today is the last day, and last chance, to take advantage of the state’s sales tax holiday.
Lori Uzzell of Kinston brought her daughter Bianca, 14, and a friend, Monsharae Matthews, 13, to Vernon Park Mall on Friday to shop for school clothes and take advantage of the last tax-free weekend.
“I don’t like it at all,” Uzzell said about the tax holiday ending. “I wish they would continue it. It makes it better for parents, as far as spending money.”
School starts on Aug. 26 for Lenoir, Greene and Jones counties, so double-check your supply and clothing lists, as well as the tax-free items list, and get your shopping done today before 11:59 p.m.
Lenoir and Greene’s early colleges begin classes Aug. 12.
Every grade-level supply list is available on each school’s website, which can be accessed through the Board of Education website.
Lenoir County Public Schools got a new relaxed dress code last year, and there is only one change to it this year, said Superintendent Steven Mozingo.
This year, students will be able to wear hoodies, with some restriction.
“The minor tweak was we will allow students to wear (hoodies) at school,” he said, “but just not inside the buildings.”
Uzzell said she prefers the relaxed dress code, although it means spending more money and taking extra time to purchase new clothes for school. Her daughter, who used to wear a uniform, enjoys creating her own look.
“When I’m able to shop for what I like to, I feel like I’m able to express myself,” Bianca Uzzell said, “I like to show my own style. It’s not about competition. It’s about whatever makes you happy.”
Greene County, too, has relaxed its uniform policy over the last few years due to feedback from parents, teachers and students, Superintendent Patrick Miller said.
“We really don’t have uniforms, anymore,” he said. “It’s basically as long as your clothes meet what’s in the code.”
Students are not allowed to wear shirts that promote illegal drugs and vulgarity. Pants must have belt loops, a belt needs to be worn and shirts must be tucked in, Miller said.
Greene’s middle school students will be starting school in the newly-rebuilt Greene County Middle School.
The school was devastated by a tornado in April 2011. Since August of that year, students have been attending school at a mobile campus behind the school. The mobile campus is about halfway torn down now, Miller said.
“We’re thrilled to be back in our permanent building,” he said. “It is nice and shiny.”
Jones County has a uniform policy which requires pants, skirts and dresses to be khaki, navy blue or black. Grades 2-12 must wear a belt — navy blue, white or black — if there are belt loops.
Approved shirts must be white, navy blue or ash/sports gray. T-shirts should be white, navy blue or gray and worn under a collared shirt without lettering or graphics showing.
Multiple phone calls to reach Jones County Superintendent Michael Bracey or another spokesperson for this report were not returned.
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.
Sales Tax Holiday’s tax-exempt items
School Supplies – $100 or less per item
Binders
Blackboard chalk
Book bags
Calculators
Cellophane tape
Clay and glazes
Compasses
Composition books
Crayons
Erasers
Folders (expandable, pocket, plastic and manila)
Glue, paste, and paste sticks
Highlighters
Index card boxes and index cards
Legal pads
Lunch boxes
Markers
Notebooks
Paintbrushes for artwork and paints (acrylic, tempora, and oil)
Paper (loose leaf ruled notebook paper, copy paper, graph paper, tracing paper, manila paper, colored paper, poster board, and construction paper)
Pencil boxes and other school supply boxes
Pencil sharpeners
Pencils (includes pencil leads)
Pens (includes pen refills)
Protractors
Rulers
Scissors
Sketch and drawing pads
Watercolors
Writing tablets
School instructional materials – $300 or less per item
Reference books
Reference maps and globes
Textbooks
Workbooks
Clothing – $100 or less per item (List is not all-inclusive)
Aprons, household and shop
Athletic supporters
Baby receiving blankets
Bandannas
Bathing suits and caps; beach capes and coats
Belts and suspenders
Boots; overshoes
Coats, jackets, capes, and wraps
Costumes (does not include costume masks sold separately)
Diapers (children and adults, including disposables)
Earmuffs; gloves and mittens for general use; hats and caps; hosiery; scarves
Formalwear (does not include rentals)
Garters/garter belts; girdles; leotards/tights
Panty hose; socks; stockings and footlets; underwear
Insoles for shoes
Jogging suits
Lab coats
Neckties
Rainwear
Rubber pants
Sandals; shoes and shoelaces; slippers; sneakers; steel-toed shoes
Uniforms (athletic and non-athletic uniforms when purchased for non-business use)
Wedding apparel (does not include rentals)
Sport/Recreational Equipment – $50 or less per item (List is not all-inclusive)
Ballet and tap shoes
Cleated or spiked athletic shoes
Gloves (baseball, bowling, boxing, hockey, golf and other sports)
Goggles
Hand and elbow guards
Helmets (bicycle, skating, baseball and other sports)
Life preservers and vests
Mouth guards
Roller and ice skates
Shin guards
Shoulder pads
Ski boots
Waders, wetsuits and fins
Computers – $3,500 or less per item
Computer includes a central processing unit, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers, but not peripherals that are not sold in conjunction with a central processing unit.
Also includes tablets, netbooks and eReaders with enhanced computing functions, such as such as Internet access, email and the ability to download and run applications.
Computer Supplies – $250 or less per item
Computer storage media, including diskettes and compact disks
Handheld electronic schedulers, except cellular phones
Personal digital assistants, except cellular phones
Computer printers
Printer supplies for computers, including printer paper and printer ink
Source: North Carolina Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax Division
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School Supply Lists (See school websites for complete lists)
General List
Paper
Notebooks
Pencils, pens
Pencil bag/box
Dry erase markers (low-odor)
Glue sticks
Index cards
Tissues, hand sanitizer, sanitary wipes
K-Third Grade
Crayons
Erasers
Scissors
Plastic folders
Plastic zippered bags
Adhesive bandages
Bookbag
Fourth-Fifth Grade
Colored pencils
Sticky notes
Highlighter pens
Binder
Crayons
Erasers
Scissors
Plastic zippered bags
Bookbag
Middle/High Schools:
Ring binders, dividers
Mechanical pencils, pencil sharpener
Highlighter pens
Colored pencils, markers
Folders
Sticky notes
Headphones
Graph paper (for math)
Flash drive
Source: Compiled from Lenoir, Greene and Jones counties’ supply lists
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Dress Codes
Lenoir County Public Schools
Shorts, skirts and dresses – at least knee length
Shirts – must cover midriff and chest, no sleeveless at middle and high schools, no tank tops spaghetti straps, tube tops, halter tops, see-through shirts or mesh shirts
Clothing – without vulgarity or illegal depictions, advertising or gang emblems
Pants and shorts – fit properly, fastened at the waist
Appropriate footwear
Hoodies, toboggans – allowed outside only
Greene County Schools
Shorts, shirts and dresses – 3 inches above knees or below fingertips, no tank tops or spaghetti straps
Shirts – must cover midriff and chest, T-shirts without vulgarity or illegal depictions, advertising or gang emblems
Pants, shorts and skirts – fit properly, fastened at the waist, belts worn fourth grade and up
Appropriate footwear
Hoodies, hats and caps – allowed outside only
Jones County Schools
Pants, skirts, shorts, jumpers, dresses, skorts – khaki, navy blue, black, at least fingertip length
Shirts – solid colors of white, navy blue or ash/sports gray, collared, long or short-sleeved
Other shirts – Principal-approved spirit wear, school letter jackets, Oxford button-down collar dress shirts and mock turtlenecks/turtlenecks in approved solid colors
Shirts over collared shirts – crew neck sweaters, vests, sweatshirts in approved solid shirt colors, do not have to be tucked in but cannot hang past the straddle of the pants
Clothing – No gang emblems or gang apparel
Belts – Grades 4-12 must wear a belt in navy blue, white or black if garment has belt loops
Appropriate footwear
Coats – allowed outside only
Early College high schools
Students must dress according to public school dress code and wear Lenoir Community College name badge or student identification tag
Source: Student Dress Policy Code 4316 (LCPS, GCS and JCS), gec.gcsedu.org/, LCECHS-Handbook
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For information or to find your class supply list,
Lenoir County Public Schools – lenoir.k12.nc.us (links to all school supply lists)
Kinston High – 252-527-8067
North Lenoir High – 252-527-9184
South Lenoir High – 252-568-6161
LenoirCountyEarly College High – 252-233-6870
Sampson School – 252-527-4264
Contentnea-Savannah K-8 School – 252-527-8591
E.B. Frink Middle – 252-566-3326
Rochelle Middle – 252-527-4290
Woodington Middle – 252-527-9570
Banks Elementary – 252-527-9470
La Grange Elementary – 252-566-4036
Northeast Elementary – 252-527-4166
Northwest Elementary – 252-527-5143
Moss Hill Elementary – 252-569-5071
Pink Hill Elementary – 252-569-5071
Southeast Elementary – 252-527-4210
Southwood Elementary – 252-527-9081
Greene County Schools – gcsedu.org
Greene Central High – 252-747-3814 – gchs.gcsedu.org/ (no supply list)
Greene Early College High School – 252-747-9044 – gec.gcsedu.org/ (no supply list)
Greene County Middle – 252-747-8191 – gcms.gcsedu.org/
Greene County Intermediate – 252-747-0182 – gcis.gcsedu.org/
West Greene Elementary – 252-747-3955 – wg.gcsedu.org/
Snow Hill Primary – 252-747-8113 – shp.gcsedu.org/
Pre-K Center – 252-747-7116
Jones County Schools – jonesnc.net (see drop-down list under Schools)
Jones Senior High – 252-448-2451
Jones Middle – 252-448-3956
Comfort Elementary – 910-324-4249
Maysville Elementary – 910-743-5191
Pollocksville Elementary – 252-224-8071
TrentonElementary – 252-448-3441