MACON, Ga. — As students are getting ready to start back to classes, parents are shopping for back-to-school.
Some, like students at Bibb County Schools, are gearing up for e-learning.
As classes are soon to start off virtually, Renata Grable says she has spent less on school supplies, particularly on items likes clothes.
Grable says the number one thing she's focused on is making sure the virtual setup works.
"We're trying to make sure the WiFi is connected, and everything is good with the WiFi," Grable said.
As online classes increase, the National Retail Federation says spending trends are changing. Of those surveyed, 76 percent plan to make purchases specifically because of online learning.
According to the survey, it's predicted that parents will spend more on computers and desks than in years past.
Tanzy Kilcrease, the Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning at Bibb County Schools, says its crucial that all students have a laptop -- whether its their own or if they loan it from their school.
Kilcrease says something she recommends to add to your back-to-school list is a pair of headphones.
"It's important for earphones or like headphones because we want them to have a non-distracting working environment," Kilcrease said.
She also says to make a classroom-like environment for your child.
"We want to make sure each child has a quiet space that is conducive for learning," Kilcrease said. "Where there are no distractions from siblings or televisions or the cell phone, so they can be actively engaged with the learning with the teacher."
For Grable, she already has this setup in a room of their home so her son can focus on his online classes.
The National Retail Federation is also predicting that shoppers are likely to spend more on back-to-school shopping this year compared to last year. This because families are likely to spend more money on tech.
NRF predicts a household will spend $789.49 on back-to-school in comparison to the $696.70 that they were expected to spend last year.
However, spending more isn't necessarily the case in every household. For Grable, she says she feels like she's spending less.
Grable says that's mainly because instruction will be online and Bibb County Schools are letting students borrow devices if they need one.