The Teacher Supply Deport opened Saturday, which gave local teachers the opportunity to load up on free classroom supplies for the new academic year.
This depot has been running since 2001, and it provides free materials for teachers, assistants and administrators. All its supplies come from donations. The depot said it has helped more than 6,000 educators in Knox County and provided more than $2 million worth of free materials.
Scott Bacon, the depot's supervisor of business partnerships, said it is a great way for educators to get what they need while saving money.
"The average teacher's going to spend $700 plus out of pocket for a school year," said Bacon. "So this obviously helps with some of that. But they also might find something that will touch on the creative side that will allow them to do a project in the classroom and really enhance the learning opportunities for kids."