By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Starting during the sales tax holiday on Aug. 2 and running through Aug. 10, an Alabaster City Schools bus will be parked in front of the city’s Walmart to help kids in need for the upcoming school year.

Alabaster School Superintendent Dr. Wayne Vickers announced the partnership during an Aug. 1 Alabaster Board of Education Meeting at the Alabaster Senior Center.

Through the partnership, the school bus will be parked in front of Walmart for more than a week to give shoppers a chance to provide school supplies for students who otherwise may not have them.

“That is a good gesture by Walmart,” Vickers said. “There are some great things going on in Alabaster City Schools.”

The school district is looking to pack the bus to the brim with supplies for kids in need. After Aug. 10, district officials will distribute the donated supplies to each Alabaster school campus.

Walmart and the Alabaster School System wanted to start the donation drive on Aug. 2 to take advantage of the sales tax-free weekend, which will run from Aug. 2-4. During the tax holiday, back-to-school items will be sales tax exempt.

Also during the Aug. 1 Alabaster School Board meeting, Vickers announced Alabaster’s Westwood Baptist Church is planning to sponsor several Alabaster families in need during the upcoming school year.