Philadelphia School District Brings Back To School Event To Roosevelt Mall
by Alex Lloyd Gross
Thousands of people descended on the Roosevelt Mall today for the opportunity to get free school supplies and swag from local merchants and city agencies. This was the last stop for the school district’s “Back To School Bus Tour”. The idea is to equip school children with supplies they need to be successful in school.
Of course, kids could go where they wanted in the footprint of the event but the idea that 95 percent of kids followed was to get in line, pick up a few items like hand sanitizer, and pencils, move along and get a free book bag from the school district. They would then move to the next table and pick up more things like pencils, folders and rulers. All of it went into their brand new book bag.
Everything was free and it was emblazoned with the logo of the respective city agency or business. For Raising Cane’s , which had a table set up it was a no brainer. Free pencils with the name n the store and folders. Kid’s will look at that everyday and want to stop there after school. Plus the business gets to write that off.
SEPTA was there to inform people that bus routes are changing for example the following bus routes were discontinued: 35 47M62,78* 80 89 106.. Other routes have been extended. A new route 76 operates between Columbus Commons and Olney Rising Sun Loop via pier, Frankford Avenue and G Street. It runs every 30 minutes. The 72 runs from the Frankford terminal to Cedarbrook Plaza, every 30 minutes.
Alex Lloyd Gross Photo Delaware Valley News.com people learn how to build robots at the Brooklyn Robot Academy that had a booth there.
SEPTA buses and trains for school students is paid for by a student pass. Students who simply board the bus without showing their pass risk disciplinary action. People that simply get on the bus without paying risk arrest. School tokens have been discontinued for several years. Regular tokens went away about five years ago as well.
While it was fun for the kids to go from booth to booth getting what they could, there was a ton of free information as well. Free immunizations were given out to kids as well. The first day of school is Monday August 24, 2026.