Los Alamos JJAB launches school supply drive for LAPS students
Back-to-school costs are squeezing Los Alamos families, and JJAB is collecting cash to stock backpacks, notebooks and other basics before classes begin.
Los Alamos families are once again facing the price of sending a student to school with everything on the list, from backpacks and notebooks to pencils, folders and headphones. Los Alamos JJAB is using its annual supply drive to try to close that gap for Los Alamos Public Schools students, with cash donations aimed at buying exactly what classrooms need now.
The drive has run every year since 2017, and JJAB says financial gifts work better than donated items because staff can match purchases to current school requests. The supply list stretches beyond the basics to include crayons, graphing paper, Clorox wipes, tissues and other academic supplies. Donations are being accepted through July 24, 2026, online or by mail to Los Alamos JJAB, P.O. Box 4716, Los Alamos, NM 87547, with “School Supply Drive” noted on the envelope or check.
Last year’s effort reached 66 individual LAPS students, and JJAB also supplied school counselors with items to hand to students who showed up without everything they needed. That makes the drive more than a once-a-year backpack fill. It also serves as a backup for families hit by a last-minute shortfall after school starts.
Dianna Reichelt, who became executive director in March 2026 after joining JJAB in 2021 as a resource specialist, said the point is to help students walk into class confident, prepared and ready to learn. JJAB says supplies are typically distributed the week before school starts, giving families a narrow window to turn donations into actual classroom readiness before the fall rush begins.
The organization itself dates to February 10, 2004, when the Los Alamos County Council and the Los Alamos School Board established the Los Alamos Juvenile Justice Advisory Board. Today, JJAB describes itself as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with an independent board of community members focused on youth and family support in Los Alamos County.
The timing overlaps with another sign that the new school year is already moving into view: Los Alamos Public Schools opened online registration for the 2026-2027 school year on March 2, 2026. For families already watching every school-year expense, the supply drive remains one of the few direct ways to help make sure students start with the basics instead of falling behind before the first bell.
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