Nearly 40% of parents have already started back-to-school shopping

New law means free breakfast, lunch for all students: Looking at the impact

MINNEAPOLIS -- July has just passed the midpoint, but some parents -- and even teachers -- are already looking forward to the school year.

A survey conducted by OnePoll for Office Depot found 39 percent of respondents planned to start shopping for school supplies before July. Fifty-eight percent of parents said they're looking forward to the school year.

The survey also found two in three teachers miss their classroom.

Parents are setting aside about $225 on average for school supplies, per the survey, and most are planning to shop both online and in stores.

The National Retail Federation expects back-to-school spending to reach $41.5 billion this year, which would be about $4 billion more than last year.