Popular education accessories as students head back to school include backpacks with digital device rechargers and auxiliary ports. Among other popular items are portable power banks ($30 or less), stackable locker shelves and digital tablets such as the Apple iPad (about $355) or Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 ($399), which are handy now that publishers offer interactive textbook editions formatted for tablets. A new item from Rocketbook is a $16 reusable notebook. Students use a special pen, then photograph notes and upload them to Google Docs, Dropbox or other destinations via an app before wiping pages clean with a moist towel.

Manufacturers and major chains compete aggressively this time of year with discounts on computers and other technology. Walmart, for instance, now charges just $6.97 for a Casio scientific calculator and $499 for a HP Pavillion laptop with Windows 10. An Apple promotion through Sept. 25 offers free Beats Solo3 Wireless headphones with a Mac purchase and Powerbeats3 Wireless for iPad Pro buyers. Office Depot drops the price of a JanSport SuperBreak backpack to $41. Bargain hunters await clearance sales in September after classes start, when backpacks, lunch kits and binders often get deep price cuts – if they're still in stock.

Some parents have safety on their minds as they consider backpacks with pockets for bulletproof panels that could be held as shields in case of a school shooting. Home Depot and Office Depot offer protective backpacks for about $130 to $150. Education administrators in some areas also are shopping for security steps, such as metal detectors, video cameras, intruder-resistant doors, shatterproof materials and higher-technology entry locks. In Lovejoy, Texas, the school district this month added a system that lets staff members use wireless "panic buttons" to sound an alarm on emergencies of any kind, including medical situations. The signal devices fit in a pocket or clip to a neck lanyard.

Educator says: "Technology enhances good instruction and a positive school environment, and lends itself to a more personalized learning approach." -- Adrian Acosta, instructional technology at Houston Independent School District

Retail executive says: "The closer shoppers wait until the beginning of the school year, the more discounts they can expect to find. Of course, inventory can be more picked over by then." – Courtney Jespersen of NerdWallet, a personal finance site

Mom says: "The cost is nothing compared with having a small bit of comfort that he will have something on him for protection." -- Maya Rockafellow of Shelby Township, Mich., who bought bulletproof backpack panels for her first-grader