Daily Herald opinion: Illinois’ back-to-school tax break may be prompted by politics, but it will help families as well

We’re days away from the start of the school year in the suburbs, and that means frenzied trips to local stores to stock up on whatever supplies — be it crayons for the younger ones or calculators for those in the upper grades — your child’s classroom list demands.

The back-to-school rush brings a mix of excitement and anxiety for kids. Parents feel that jumble of emotions too, along with concern about mounting credit card bills covering everything from new shoes to Spider-Man backpacks.

It’s important to note then that Illinois begins a 10-day sales tax holiday Friday that applies to many common back-to-school essentials. Through Aug. 16, the state’s portion of sales tax is reduced by 5% from 6.25% to 1.25%.

The break addresses state sales tax only, not local taxes. But it does cover a wide range of school supplies for families filling their shopping carts this month. Among the included items are book bags, lunch boxes, notebooks, markers, pencils and protractors. Calculators are covered as well, though computers and cell phones are not.

The break also applies to shoes, shirts, pants, jackets, school uniforms and even underwear, as long as the retail price is less than $125 per item.

Sports equipment, often pricey, is not included in the holiday. Neither are text books, sketch pads, paint, hair accessories and umbrellas.

“Parents will keep more of their hard-earned dollars while students will get what they need to start the school year off right,” Gov. JB Pritzker said earlier this week at an event in Palatine to kick off the initiative.

Now, we have to agree with critics that the timing of the tax break — less than three months before the Nov. 3 election — is rather politically convenient and decidedly PR-friendly. There was no break last year, for example, or the year before.

But even though politics no doubt played a part, many other states offer the perk. And it does provide some breathing room for parents who need to buy a long list of supplies before sending their kids off to school at a time when prices are high.

There are other ways to save, including checking last year’s haul to see what still works, paying attention to store sales and stocking up now on things like spiral notebooks that won’t go to waste even if they’re not needed until next year.

A word of advice from veteran parents: Pick up some poster board as well during the tax break. Your kids will probably need it at some point, and it will save you a few cents to get it now. More importantly, you won’t have to make a late-night run on a cold winter night when your kid announces he needs it for the next day.

Trust us on this one.