Looking for school supplies? Here's how to save time with a few simple clicks

BOSTON — With schools opening in most of the state soon, parents are frantically getting ready with the annual school supply shopping "scavenger hunt."

Those ever-growing supply lists used to be hard to find. But thanks to a local company, now there's a shortcut.

Their technology is making the lists readily available and even making it possible for you to skip going to the store altogether.

That’s great news to parents who spoke to Boston 25 News.

“Things are really hectic for us between the 4 kids, 3 schools, and the suggested lists that we need to get,” said Abington mom Leslie Reilly.

“It's very overwhelming, once they get in the store they all go in different directions,” added mother of four, Lisa Augusta.

“We stopped at the one store, and we couldn't find the yellow notebooks, then we had to go to another store and we found what we needed. It's a process,” said Reilly.

BRINGING SCHOOL SUPPLY SHOPPING INTO THE 21ST CENTURY

A local company is trying to make that process a little easier. Like with other types of shopping, they make a trip to the store to buy schools supplies optional.

“They can pull up the list and then they can connect directly to national retailers and in one click purchase everything they need,” said John Driscoll.  He is the president of TeacherLists.com in Wrentham.

The company has compiled more than 1.3 million classroom lists from around the country.  He says they're bringing school supply shopping into the 21st century.

“Parents call up the website, enter the zip code, the school, then the teacher…and the list appears,” Driscoll told Boston 25 News.  “I can click on it and it just pre-populates in my cart.”

Some parents who tried the site, but still enjoy the time-tested in-store shopping experience tell Boston 25 News, even that is easier now.

“The supply list came up, I screen-shotted it on my phone and forwarded it to my 13 year olds,” explained Reilly.

Schools involved in the program say it's improved communications with families.

“A lot of times you'll see on Facebook: ‘Has anyone seen the 2nd grade school supply list or the 4th grade list?’ and if we can just point them in one direction where all the lists are, it certainly makes it a lot easier,” said Abington first grade teacher Marianne Dankese.

And with the precious last days of summer quickly running out, it gives many families back the one thing they can never get enough of: time.

"It's nice that these lists can go out in the summer and parents can go at their leisure.
It doesn't have to be right before they go back to school," said Weymouth teacher and Abington mom Jenn D'Ambra.

“You can continue your summer a little longer with your kids,” said Driscoll.

To see if your school list is posted, click here.

Cox Media Group