Lafayette Back To School 2012 Tips

For thousands of kids around the country a new school year means a new pair of shoes. Unfortunately, breaking in a new pair of shoes often comes with pain and discomfort. That's why our first top tip for the new school year is to make the new shoe purchase a week early, that way the stress of the first week of school is not compounded with the pain of breaking in new shoes.

Bonus: From August 3-4 Louisiana will be enjoying a sales tax holiday. This added incentive means that the new pair of shoes won't be quite as expensive as it normally would be.

Tip #1: Get those new shoes a week early to break them in before school starts.

The first thing most kids do when they head back to school is begin to look forward to the next time they're out of school. This year, the LPSS took a bit of the confusion out of the mix by scheduling all of the Teacher In-Service days for the entire parish during the same week. Instead of students from around the parish getting different days off, this year the entire parish will get a single week off.

Tip #2: Take a look at the LPSS calendar ahead of time so that the planned breaks and off days don't catch you off guard.

The school supply section of stores during the first week of school is an absolute zoo. People are everywhere, the merchandise is everywhere, and the good stuff goes very quickly. Save yourself the headache of a hectic shopping atmosphere and the heartbreak of having to settle for the less than desirable supplies by heading out a week early and stocking up before the rush. The shelves will be filled to the brims and the foot traffic will be relatively low.

Tip #3: Pick up school supplies early before the rush.

Lunch is now and has always been one of the most important parts of any student's day. This year the LPSS has made it easier than ever to ensure your student will always have enough money for lunch.

The LPSS is proud to be one of the handful of school systems in the country to offer use of SchoolPaymentSolutions.com for online meal payments. By simply signing up at School Payment Solutions' website, parents will have the option of adding to their student's balance online, this way your child will never be stuck without lunch money. The website also allows parents to observe what the child will be eating.

Tip #4: Sign up at SchoolPaymentSolutions.com to bring lunch money into the digital age.

School uniforms in Lafayette Parish are an absolute reality. All students have to wear them and they all must meet the guideline provided by the LPSS Dress Code. Finding the best places to buy school uniforms can be tough so we've put together a list of a few places you might want to look first.

Big Box:

Academy

Old Navy

Target

Wal-Mart

Local Stores:

Fashion World

School Time

Young Fashions

Online Alternatives:

Amazon.com

Ebay.com

FrenchToast.com

LandsEnd.com