Operation School Bell®
For the 2024-2025 school year, Assistance League will celebrate 40 years of shopping for new clothing with Washoe County School District students. Operation School Bell provides elementary and middle school students a shopping experience for brand new clothing. The children leave with a huge bag of new clothes, new toiletries, wide grins and a renewed sense of confidence.
Washoe County School District personnel identify the students at the individual schools and submit the list to the Operation School Bell committee. Students attend a scheduled shopping event with their parents or guardians at the Target or Walmart store closest to the school. The event happens after school so the students do not miss valuable school time. When students check in, they receive a list of appropriate items to purchase.
Assistance League member volunteers work at the event, assisting at check in, adding up merchandise, and helping with check out and bagging. At the checkout stand, students receive an Essentials kit full of toiletries.
Each student will have the following budgets for new clothing: preschool $75, kindergarten through third grade $125, and fourth and fifth grades $145. These budgets are generous enough to provide for new shoes, pants, shirts, socks, and even underwear. School counselors acknowledge that students do better in school when properly dressed.
