Gear up to go back to school
Supply drives, giveaways scheduled as new school year approaches
Education
As painful as it may be to any students who are fans of the Main Street Journal, sometimes bad news must be reported: With that said, school begins in two weeks.
As parents and students prepare for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year, acquiring a fresh batch of all necessary supplies is a must. And several local groups are accepting donations to help make gathering those supplies easier for anyone needing help, and accepting donations from anyone able to purchase a few extra items.
Local groups in McMinnville are stepping up with multiple school supply drives over the next few weeks to help students get ready for the upcoming school year.
United Way of South Central Tennessee will host its annual “Stuff the Bus McMinnville” event from July 25–27 at Walmart on Chancery Street. Donations of essentials like notebooks, pencils, backpacks, markers, and more will be accepted from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day. The collected supplies will be distributed to local schools to support students in need.
Main Street Live, the summer concert series held each Friday, will have its annual "Back to School Bash" July 25 from 6-9 p.m. on the west lawn of Security Federal in conjunction with this week's concert. In addition to music by Soul Sacrifice, back to school supplies will be available, as well as school pictures provided by Shelby Durham Photography and more fun activities for children
Westwood Church of Christ will host its annual Free School Store on July 26 from 9-11 a.m. at the Westwood Gym, located at 511 Morrison St. Made possible by the Steve and Kate Smith Trust, the event offers free backpacks and school supplies, along with a light breakfast and bounce houses for children. Supplies will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis while they last. While last year’s event gave away 650 backpacks and other school supplies, Westwood organizers expect this year’s event to be the biggest to date.
Underdogs Fighting Odds and Young Men United will once again host the “Back 2 School Bash,” which is also set for Saturday, July 26, from 2-5 p.m. at 103 Bernard Drive. The event will feature free school supplies, food, music, games, and giveaways for families and students preparing for the upcoming school year. Attendees are encouraged to follow @_projectufo on Instagram for updates. The event aims to support the local community by providing essentials and fun activities in a festive back-to-school environment.
Last year, which was the 10th annual YMU bash and the second year it partnered with UFO, saw over 100 kids receive school supplies.
Families are encouraged to bring their school supply lists to these events, if possible. Warren County Schools has posted comprehensive 2025–26 school supply lists for all grade levels—covering every elementary school, the middle school, and the high school, including a universal list for WCHS. The lists can be found here. For example, WCHS requires items such as mechanical pencils, binders, graph paper, calculators, and more. Following each grade’s link opens a printable PDF for an easy shopping list as parents and students prepare for the first day of school, which is Tuesday, Aug. 5.
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