District 300 seeks school supplies for students in need

Community Unit District 300 is seeking donations for its annual "Stuff the Bus" school supply drive benefiting students in need.

Donations will be accepted from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 15 at Walmart, 1410 S. Randall Road, Algonquin. A District 300 school bus will be stationed at the store's front entrance collecting school supplies to support homeless students and students eligible for free and reduced lunch who will attend district schools in the fall.

This is the seventh year the district has hosted "Stuff the Bus," which has provided school supplies for 1,500 students since its inception, officials said.

"District 300 has a responsibility to remove barriers for students in need to have an equal learning experience," said Shelley Nacke, District 300's assistant superintendent of education services. "('Stuff the Bus') helps provide support for families and resources they may not otherwise have access to. And it provides students with the tools required to achieve our district's central mission: Ensuring all students are college or career ready upon graduation."

Last year, volunteers were able to fill 400 backpacks with supplies, which is again the goal. It costs roughly $30 to fill a backpack, officials said.

Supplies sought include folders, notebooks, loose leaf paper, pencils, pens, scissors, glue sticks, rulers, crayons, color pencils, markers, index cards, Post-it notes, highlighters and gender neutral backpacks. Donations will be organized by district staff members, placed inside individual backpacks and distributed to students.

Community members unable to attend the event can drop off donations at the District 300 Central Office front desk, 2550 Harnish Drive, Algonquin, between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. weekdays, or mail a check made out to "CUSD 300" to Education Services, District 300 Central Office, 2550 Harnish Drive, Algonquin, 60102. Mention "Stuff the Bus" in the check's memo line.