For many Texas Panhandle families, the annual back-to-school shopping trip looks a little different than it did just a few years ago.
Notebooks, pencils and backpacks are still on the list, but so are laptops, headphones and other technology many students now use in the classroom. As families prepare for the new school year, they're also looking for ways to stretch their budgets by shopping sales, reusing supplies and deciding which purchases can wait.
According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), families with children in kindergarten through 12th grade are expected to spend an average of $863.86 per student this year. Total K-12 back-to-school spending is projected to reach a record $43.3 billion nationwide.
Technology accounts for the largest share of that spending. The NRF found families plan to spend an average of $293.11 on electronics, followed by $250.29 for clothing and accessories, $174.01 for shoes and $146.45 for school supplies.
That reflects how much classrooms have changed. In addition to the traditional supplies, many students now need laptops, tablets, calculators or headphones to complete assignments throughout the school year.
At the same time, parents aren't necessarily replacing everything.
A 2026 survey from Deloitte found families are spending more on clothing and accessories as children outgrow last year's wardrobe, while many are putting off technology upgrades when existing devices still work. Instead of buying everything new, many households are keeping backpacks, binders and other reusable supplies if they're still in good condition.
Families are also getting a head start on shopping.
The National Retail Federation reported that 62% of shoppers had already started buying back-to-school items by early July, hoping to take advantage of summer sales and spread costs over several weeks instead of making one large purchase.
Others said they were waiting for additional discounts, deciding which supplies were still needed or spacing out purchases to make the expense easier to manage.
For Texas shoppers, another opportunity to save is just around the corner.
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts says the state's 2026 Sales Tax Holiday runs Friday, Aug. 7, through Sunday, Aug. 9. During that weekend, qualifying clothing, footwear, school supplies and backpacks priced under $100 can be purchased without paying state or local sales tax.
The exemption applies to eligible purchases made in Texas stores as well as qualifying online and catalog purchases from Texas businesses. The Comptroller's office publishes a full list of qualifying and nonqualifying items before the tax-free weekend.
Back-to-school shopping has changed considerably over the years. Where families once focused mostly on notebooks, folders and a new outfit for the first day of school, today's shopping lists often include technology alongside the traditional classroom essentials.
Even so, many parents are taking a practical approach. They're comparing prices, watching for sales and replacing only what's necessary as they prepare their children for another school year.
