Deal Finder: Save on Back-to-School Costs on After-School Care, Band Instruments, more
By LaTINA EMERSON, Special to The Coweta Shopper
School is back in session, and parents are facing a variety of extra costs for their children, including school lunches, clothing, after-school care, extracurricular activities and more. Here are some local resources and ways to save money on back-to-school costs:
Get help with after-school care
After-school programs are a great way to keep your kids safe and entertained after the school day ends.
The Coweta County School System provides after-school programs at several elementary schools, if there is sufficient demand and available personnel. Children in the Coweta County School System in Pre-K through fifth grade may enroll if they’re properly registered and pay tuition fees. The school system’s after-school program, a self-supported, non-educational, daycare program, is available from 2:30 to 6 p.m. when school is in session, according to the Coweta County School System’s website.
To participate in the program, the registration fee is $35, and tuition is $15 per day. Tuition payments made by Friday prior to the week of attendance are $12 per day reserved, the school system’s website reports. For more information, visit https://www.cowetaschools.net/en-US.
Several local organizations also offer after-school programs
Summit Family YMCA offers the Y Explore Afterschool Program for children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Students can participate in social and emotional learning counseling, homework help, snacks and sports activities.
Pick up is available from three local elementary schools (Newnan Crossing, Welch and White Oak), and parents can also drop off their children. If students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, the after-school program fee is $55 per week. YMCA members will pay $65 per week. Program members who are not full YMCA members will pay $80 per week. Financial assistance is available for students based on their family’s tax returns from the previous year, according to Erin Hight, associate executive director at Summit Family YMCA.
Summit Family YMCA is at 1765 East Highway 34 East in Newnan. For more information, visit https://ymcaatlanta.org/locations/summit-family-ymca or call 770-254-9622.
The Boys & Girls Club provides after-school programs in Coweta County for children ages 6 to 18. The programs are available Monday through Friday from 3 to 7 p.m.
The Howard Warner Boys & Girls Club at 55 Savannah St. in Newnan accepts students from Welch Elementary and Lee Middle schools.
The Newnan/Coweta Boys & Girls Club at 72 Wesley St. in Newnan accepts students from Ruth Hill, Jefferson Parkway, Elm Street, Smokey Road and Atkinson elementary schools and Evans Middle School. The membership fee is based on the family’s income. High school students can participate in activities at this Boys & Girls Club location free of charge.
At both locations, students can participate in activities related to academic success (including the computer science pathway program), college and career readiness, the arts (including national fine arts exhibit, sewing and music), healthy lifestyles, and character and leadership.
For more information, contact the Howard Warner Boys & Girls Club at 770-999-9151 and the Newnan/Coweta Boys & Girls Club at 678-423-0309.
Sign up for free or reduced school breakfast and lunch
Coweta County School System families in need of assistance with meal costs can complete the 2024-2025 free and reduced meal application. For more information, visit https://www.cowetaschools.net/en-US.
Rent or find deals on musical instruments and sporting equipment
As middle and high school students discover their talents and participate in band and sports activities, the costs of their musical instruments and sporting gear can quickly add up. Several retailers in Coweta and surrounding counties are offering deals for parents:
Pawn Express of Newnan: Pawn Express of Newnan at 93 Temple Ave. in Newnan has a variety of musical instruments for purchase, including guitars (acoustic, bass and electric), violins, saxophones, clarinets, trumpets, flutes and pianos. For more information, call 678-673-6565.
Music & Arts: At Music & Arts, 308 City Circle, Suite 1240 in Peachtree City, families can rent an array of band and orchestra instruments. The retailer offers student-level and intermediate instruments, including clarinets, flutes, saxophones (alto and sometimes tenor), trumpets, French horns, trombones, violins, violas and cellos.
To rent an instrument, customers will sign a rent-to-own contract and make monthly payments. The contract length and the instrument’s rental price will depend on the model of the instrument, its rental history and the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP). Customers can purchase the instrument before their contract ends, which can save up to 30 percent off the price of the instrument.
Music & Arts offers insurance that covers the cost of all repairs. For more information, contact Music & Arts at 770-632-0330.
Play It Again Sports: Instead of buying brand new items, parents can find gently used sporting gear at Play It Again Sports, a sporting goods resale franchise store at 35 Hudson Plaza in Fayetteville.
Play It Again Sports offers sports equipment and protective gear at affordable prices for a range of sports, including baseball, softball, golf, lacrosse, hockey, boxing, disc golf, tennis and pickleball. The retailer also offers exercise equipment such as treadmills, elliptical machines and more.
Customers can save up to 50 percent off regular retail prices. They can also sell or trade their own gently used sports equipment to the retailer.
For more information, contact Play It Again Sports at 770-460-7511 or https://www.playitagainsports.com/locations/fayetteville-ga.
