For many of us it probably seems like “just yesterday” when Franklin County and Russellville City Schools let out for the summer. The days and weeks since then have been filled with family vacations, athletic camps, community events, pool parties and more as our students, teachers and administrators have enjoyed a little extra time outside the classroom.

But the school season is upon us. It’s now less than a month until that all-important first day of school welcomes both returning students and new Pre-K/kindergarteners to the land of learning.

We’d like to encourage you to take advantage of the remaining time and not let summer vacation pass you by.

Make these finals days of summer break memorable. Pack them full of everything that makes summer vacation such a treasured time.

We know our local teachers and administrators are already hard at work planning their lessons, organizing their schedules and ensuring a bright year of top-notch education for Franklin students, and the first day of school will be here before we know it.

And if you’re ready to get ready, it’s never too early to start shopping for school supplies. Do you have room in your budget for a few extras? We hope you’ll consider picking up an additional pack of pencils or highlighters, some extra notebook paper and another stack of notebooks for children in Franklin County who might not be able to afford their needed supplies. CB&S Bank and Bank Independent are both actively collecting supplies for children in need.

Finish out the summer with a good deed.

Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday

July 19-21

Take advantage of tax-free purchases for certain school supplies, computers, books and clothing. Visit revenue.alabama.gov for more information.