Back to School 2026

Back-to-School 2026: What Rochester Parents Need to Know (Plus a Deal That’ll Make You Smile)

It’s the last weekend of July, and if you’re a parent in the Rochester area, you can feel it coming. The lazy summer mornings are numbered. The “I’m bored” chorus is hitting its peak. And somewhere in the back of your mind, you’re already mentally walking the aisles at Target for glue sticks and notebooks.

Here’s what’s actually happening this year to help you plan.

When do Rochester-area kids go back?

Most Monroe County districts — including Greece, Brighton, and the City of Rochester — start their 2026-27 school year in the first full week of September. Brighton’s calendar kicks off after Labor Day, and Greece CSD has its district calendar posted now. For early childhood families, some TK and kindergarten start dates are staggered into the second week of September. So you’ve still got a solid month to wrap up summer — but the window is closing.

No sales tax holiday in New York — but there’s a silver lining

New York doesn’t do a back-to-school sales tax holiday like some other states. However, clothing and footwear priced at $110 or less are always tax-exempt in New York year-round. So that new pair of sneakers and the fall jacket? No sales tax on those. Just keep the receipt handy.

What parents actually need to do right now

• Check your district’s supply list. Some schools post them online in early August, and the lists vary wildly. You don’t want to be the one hunting for a specific brand of colored pencil on September 1.
• Book those August checkups. Pediatrician and dentist appointments fill up fast. If you haven’t scheduled the sports physical yet, do it this week.
• Get the bus route sorted. Many districts release bus info about two weeks before school starts. Mark your calendar to check.

And here’s something that’s not on any school supply list

We know the back-to-school season is expensive — new clothes, supplies, maybe a laptop for the older kids. So at Hoselton Auto Mall, we wanted to help lighten the load in a real way.

Bring in a backpack with 5 items and get $500 off your next vehicle purchase.

That’s it. One new backpack, and five items. Just bring it to Hoselton and we’ll take $500 off the purchase price of your vehicle. It’s our way of saying we see what you’re juggling, and we want to help.

So go ahead and enjoy these last few weeks of summer. Get the kids to the beach one more time. And when you’re ready to think about that next car or truck, we’ll be here — and we’ll make it worth your while.

Check out a list of items to bring here