Last-minute back-to-school shopping has parents scrambling for supplies

WYNNEFIELD HEIGHTS, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Many parents Action News spoke with said they can't believe school is about to start Tuesday.

Philadelphia public schools are set to start and many parents have been waiting till the last minute to buy their children's school supplies.

"I, unfortunately, waited till the last minute," said Janice Stevens from East Falls.

Janice is shopping with her two children at the Target in Wynnefield Heights, but many parents also shopping there said they preferred to do the back-to-school shopping without their children.

"Because we would be back over there in the toy section," said Chanell Johnson, from North Philadelphia.

However, some children said that's why they like shopping with their parents.

"He doesn't know what to get, so I can just say, 'Oh I need this,'" said Emme Goldfarb, who is shopping with her dad.

For some, it's a family affair, like Noah Morris who is shopping for a new backpack with his mom and dad.

"School supplies are very expensive, especially with what's required in order to be successful. It's no longer just paper and pencils, it's technology," said Hilary Morris, from Penn Valley.

Some teachers are making a quick run through the aisles, as well.

"Getting some supplies for my students, last-minute things, some pencils, some folders," said Rachel Morgan, who is a second-grade teacher.

It's not just supplies that need to be checked off the list, some students were picking out their school uniform. Some parents who thought they were done shopping found themselves in the return line hours before school starts.

Lauren Gooden was in line exchanging folders she had bought for her daughter.

"Well they have to match the notebooks, so I went and got ones that matched the ones that I had already got," said Gooden.

Many parents said they plan on filling their children's backpacks with all the supplies they bought today so that their children don't have to worry about organizing their supplies tomorrow morning before school starts.