1 in 4 Kids Head Back to School Unable to See the Board, Eyemart Express Wants to Change That

For National Children's Eye Health and Safety Month, the national optical retailer offers parents affordable eye care options

DALLAS, Aug. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As kids of all ages return to school this month, a silent problem roams the halls: An estimated 1 in 17 preschoolers and 1 in 4 school-age children have an undetected vision problem, according to the National Center for Children's Vision and Eye Health. This can hinder a child's ability to learn, as most lessons taught in classrooms or online are presented visually. Rather than identify the issue as a problem with a child's eyesight, an adult may label a child who struggles to see the board or tablet clearly as a student who lacks focus or is unable to keep up with their classmates or behave.

August is National Children's Eye Health and Safety Month, and national optical retailer Eyemart Express is using the holiday to push a simple message ahead of the school year: An annual eye exam and new glasses are often overlooked items on the back-to-school list. The ability to see clearly should be as essential as buying a new backpack but is often an afterthought.  

"A child can't tell you a book or dry-erase board looks blurry if blurry is all they've ever known," says Dr. Tom Determan, an optometrist who serves as vice president of professional affairs at Eyemart Express. "Vision problems in kids are easy to miss and easy to correct, but only if they are caught early. Our goal is to make eye care, and the glasses that follow, accessible and something every family can afford."

To meet that goal, Eyemart Express is offering two complete pairs of kid's glasses for $79, each made with durable, impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses that are designed to survive recess, stuffed backpacks, and drops on the school bus floors. The national optical retailer is also including a one-year frame warranty to help students thrive all school year. And parents won't have to worry about their children falling behind thanks to Eyemart Express' on-site lens labs that carefully craft and deliver glasses on the day they are ordered.

Dr. Determan stresses that an eye exam matters as much as the eyewear. Annual eye exams for children can catch common, correctable conditions early, including myopia (nearsightedness), which is rising sharply among children and is treatable when identified at a young age. Vision screenings at school or the pediatrician's office are valuable, but they are not a substitute for a comprehensive exam. 

"The window to correct many childhood eye issues is narrower than most parents realize," warns Dr. Determan. "The earlier we identify something like myopia, the more options we have to manage it. An exam before the school year is one of the most important 30 minutes a parent and student can spend."

The $79 offer is available now through Oct. 3 at Eyemart Express stores nationwide and at eyemartexpress.com. Families can find their nearest store and plan an exam here.

About Eyemart Express
Eyemart Express is more than just a local eye care provider—we are eye care experts embedded in the fabric of our local communities. Doctor-founded in 1990, our team has grown alongside our customers and their families, bringing quality and accessible eye care services to each town we serve. Partnerships with local optometrists, skilled lab specialists, and local labs enable us to deliver glasses in as little as 30 minutes in our 263 stores nationwide. We offer a seamless blend of the latest technology, comprehensive eye care, and genuine human connection to deliver glasses that are "Made Today, Shipped Tomorrow" anywhere in the United States. Eyemart Express is a VSP Vision™ company that ranks among the top optical retailers in the country with its family of brands: Vision 4 Less, Visionmart Express, and Eyewear Express. For more information about Eyemart Express, visit eyemartexpress.com.

SOURCE Eyemart Express