Most Guadalajara pre-school, primary school and junior high students will receive free shoes, school uniforms, backpacks and basic items necessary for them to start the school year.
The municipal government will help 220,000 to 250,000 students in 987 government schools. The items are scheduled to be delivered between September 2 and 6. A census of students who registered in February was used to order the items.
Some 25 million students begin classes Monday, August 26, throughout the country. Many Mexicans will spend 70 percent of their monthly earnings on school items in August, totaling more than 75 billion pesos, with a cost per child ranging from 900 to 2,600 pesos. Accordingly, this is a season when pawn shops typically see a tremendous uptick in business, as families go into hawk to get everything their children need.