Plenty of positive Back-to-School Vibes at the Teacher School Supply Store
By Elaine Ellis
Christie Parker’s quest for file folders ended happily at a table piled high with them at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation’s annual Teacher School Supply Store, held August 17-19 at Smith Middle School.
“I’m so excited they have colored ones,” said Parker, a pre-kindergarten school psychologist for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS), as she eyed the ample assortment. “File folders are something I use every day.”
Parker, who refers to herself as “itinerant staff” not assigned to a specific school but serving students at multiple facilities, was using her $50 allotment at the store to collect basic administrative supplies she needs for her job.
On the Friday before the store officially opened, 100 volunteers from the East Chapel Hill Rotary Club spent a day setting up in Smith Middle School’s gym. The store hours are planned around the district’s teaching and learning days, required work days for staff in the run-up to the first day of school, which this year is Monday, August 24. During store hours, each shift is overseen by about 20 volunteers helping to keep tables stocked with supplies and tallying up each teacher’s selections to make their classrooms ready for returning students.
“It’s not only practical. [This event] boosts morale,” said Mary Gunderson, a retired Chapel Hill-Carrboro school teacher, who was on hand to lend support. “It shows someone cares about [teacher’s] time, personal expense. And it says welcome back to school in a big, big way.”
As dozens of educators lined the hallway outside the gym promptly at 2 p.m. on opening day, CHCCS superintendent Dr. Rodney Trice, flanked by Foundation and Rotary Club officials, cut the ribbon marking the official launch of the 2026 store.
As volunteers opened the doors to the gym, teachers streamed in to start shopping. Any certified instructional staff member in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School system is eligible to “shop” the store for up to $50 worth of classroom supplies to help ensure equity. Items are priced competitively, with generous donations from UNC Health, Staples, and Walmart as well as private donations.
“We’re thankful,” said Monica Mihalcescu, a math teacher at Smith. “Fifty dollars will go like this,” she said, snapping her fingers. The tissues she was toting to the checkout would last for part of the year, Mihalcescu estimated, and when they run out she explained: “you take your wallet out, you get your credit card, you smile and swipe.”
Nationwide, public school teachers spend an estimated $1,200 of their own money each year on supplies for their classrooms, from glue sticks and crayons, to pencil sharpeners and hand sanitizer, according to Madeline Blobe, executive director of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation. The Foundation, which is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting local schools and educators, started the Teacher School Supply Store in 2007 and the event has grown steadily each year, she said. This year, 1,065 staff were expected to shop.
Courtney Limerick, a third-grade teacher at Carrboro Elementary said, “I’m beyond grateful for the support of my community and the public school foundation. The school store is an amazing resource to help supply my classroom each year, it has truly made an impact on my transition back to school.”
“This is one of those things that gets you super excited,” said Kimberly Bailliard, an occupational therapist at Morris Grove Elementary. She was looking for assorted pens to help her students work on their fine motor skills.
“It’s honestly so fun to go in and have the chance to pick out exactly what we need for our particular students,” said Angela Hill, a Spanish teacher at Carrboro High School. “My favorite table is actually the free table as it keeps things circular and out of the landfill. I filled a large bag with such supplies so that all my students have what they need.”
“The state budget has not taken care of teachers, but these organizations do and help reduce teachers’ expenses out-of-pocket,” she said.
