EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – With tens of thousands of El Paso children heading back to school, parents are struggling to find uniforms due to a shortage and back orders.

KTSM spoke with the Jennifer Bailey, manager of School Wear on Hondo Pass in Northeast El Paso, who says they have seen a shortage of many items including pants and polos. She says even specific colors are hard to come by.

She says it’s been difficult because they are still dealing with the repercussions of COVID.

“Manufacturers, they didn’t have anybody in the warehouse to create them, we cant get them, so we just keep checking every day and every once in a while we get lucky and get some in.”

Parents say they have also seen an increase in prices, due to inflation and are paying almost double of what they used to pay for uniforms.

“I used to pay 5, 6, 10 dollars for a tee shirt now there 16, 17, 18 dollars so that why were buying them in little pieces as we go,” said Jose corral.

Parents are saying they have had to go to multiple stores and some still have no luck.

Bailey says some manufacture companies are telling them it wont be till mid next year that they are finally able to catch up on orders that are being placed now.

She says parents have to understand that we are all in the same boat and that School Wear is doing the best that they can do to get the products out as fast as possible.

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