Tools4Schools supply drive launches for Wake County teachers

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Tools4Schools annual community wide school supply drive launched Tuesday morning at Staples on Wake Forest Road in Raleigh.

It's an initiative through the WakeEd Partnership and the goal is to help teachers stock their classrooms at no cost to them.

This initiative helped launch a supply store for teachers that's been around now for two years and has distributed $1 million in donated school supplies.

The president of WakeEd Partnership says the supply drive started after finding out teachers were paying upwards of $900 out of their pockets for classroom supplies.

Through the generosity of the community, teachers can now shop at the supply store once every quarter.

"Teachers spend a lot of money out of their own pocket buying supplies. And that's the one thing that they really would prefer not to do. And so this initiative certainly supports what they do in the classroom and then reduces the impact on their personal pocketbooks," said Dr. Robert Taylor who is the superintendent of Wake County Public Schools.

Drop boxes for supplies can be found at Staples stores in Wake County.

Staples is also offering a 20% in-store discount to Wake County teachers through September 14.