Get Ready, Shoppers! Ohio’s Back-to-School Sales Tax-Free Holiday is Back This Month
Save Money On Back-to-School Purchases

This year, Ohio's sales tax holiday will run from midnight on August 1 until Aug. 14, at 11:59 p.m. And for 2025, state leaders expanded the annual sales tax holiday — two weeks this year, as opposed to just three days in years past.

Ohio sets aside at least two weeks for consumers to buy certain items without sales tax. This sales tax-free holiday helps families buy clothing, supplies, and more items their children may need to be successful in the coming school year. It allows tax-free purchases made in-person or online on all eligible items costing up to $500.

If you want to prepare ahead of the expanded holiday. Visit the Ohio Department of Taxation web page for more details on eligible items. Don’t forget, the 2025 sales tax holiday will take place from midnight on Friday, August 1, to 11:59 p.m. Thursday, August 14.

Latchkey is an elementary school-age childcare program that provides care and education for children of working parents. This program is designed to be a link between the home and the school. Certified, qualified and experienced childcare providers supervise, teach and interact with children to ensure that they are cared for, supervised, exposed to many learning activities, allowed to complete homework and share enjoyment in a relaxed and carefully designed, developmentally appropriate environment. Click here to learn more.

With a focus on supporting safety and academics, Columbus City Schools will issue Student Success Cards to all students Pre-K-12, starting this school year.

The purpose of these cards is to increase efficiency, and most importantly, enhance student safety. Student Success Cards are IDs featuring a photo, name, ID number, and school logo.

During the school year, these Student Success Cards can be used to: 

• Serve as ID during the school day and athletic events
• Access online learning
• Check out books and other age-appropriate materials at any Columbus Metropolitan Library branch 
• In addition to these benefits, students in grades 9-12 only will be able to access the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) at no charge.

High School students will have unlimited access to fixed-route transit service so they can get access to school, jobs, tutoring, club and athletic practices. These passes are supplemental and do not replace the District’s yellow bus services that are provided to students who qualify for transportation to and from school. Students are expected to receive cards by mid-to-late September and must wear their cards visibly on the bus and during the school day.

Students should carry their Student Success Cards with them every day.