Lakeside High School Offers Free Products to Students

Lakeside High School (LHS) in Nine Mile Falls is kicking off the school year, hoping to ensure each student has the school supplies and personal hygiene products they need to be successful. “LHS has offered free school supplies and hygiene products for many years because of the generosity of our community,” Principal Mike McCune said. “We want to make sure students have access to the basic items they need without having to worry about the cost.” According to McCune, this has been a “longstanding practice” at the high school; however, this year saw extra community support.

“This year, following the wildfires that impacted our community, we received an especially large outpouring of support from people throughout Spokane and Nine Mile who wanted to help our students and families,” he said. McCune said the school offers a variety of basic school supplies, including notebooks, mechanical pencils, binders, backpacks, and other classroom essentials. Hygiene products include items such as deodorant, menstrual products, and other personal care necessities.

“The specific items available vary throughout the year based on donations and student needs,” he said. Speaking to the importance of offering these items, McCune said, “We believe students shouldn’t have to worry about whether they can afford a notebook, backpack, or basic hygiene product. Having these necessities available can remove a small but meaningful barrier to learning and help students feel prepared, comfortable, and confident at school.” He added, “It also reflects the incredible generosity and care our community has for our students.”

McCune said there is a back corner of the school’s library where the sup- plies and products are located that the students can visit and take what they need. “There is no cost, and stu- dents don’t need to explain why they need something. We want accessing these resources to be easy, private, and stigma-free,” he said. Students can also speak to Library Technician Amber Williamson for more information.