Last week I spent $80 on school supplies. And that money didn’t buy me a single pair of jeans or sneakers. No, I dropped $80 just on classroom supplies that my children’s public school doesn’t provide.
We military families watch our pennies, and it seems that every year, back to school time puts a bigger dent in our tight budgets. So what exactly are we spending money on? Here are 10 reasons why back to school is draining our wallets:
1. Crayons and scissors and tissues, oh my! The supply list for my kids’ public school (“should you desire to purchase supplies”), includes so many items that I’m beginning to think parents are soon going to be asked to provide desks and computers. It may sound trivial to complain about buying necessary supplies like pencils and glue sticks, but when you add to that other supplies like Clorox wipes, Ziplock bags, and antibacterial gel, the cost isn’t so trivial anymore.
2. Supplies for other people’s children. I completely understand that some families don’t have the financial means to send in school supplies, and I feel fortunate that my family is able to provide the requested items that will also benefit other children. However, I’d like to know that my children will actually be the recipients of the supplies they helped pick out at Wal-Mart. Our school asks that we not label the supplies. Therefore, when the items are distributed among the students, there’s no guarantee that my kids will end up with those more expensive, sturdier folders instead of the less costly, less durable folders someone else purchased. (Maybe I need to be more like one friend who ignores the rule and writes her child’s name on the supplies anyway.)
3. Clothes and shoes. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Americans spent $7.7 billion in August 2011 at family clothing stores. I don’t doubt it. My kids have only been out of school for a couple of months, but somehow NONE of their clothes or shoes from the last school year fit. And of course, they can’t wear the clothes they’ve been wearing all summer because by now they’re covered in grass stains and popsicle drippings. They’re about to get brand new wardrobes, and unless I find someone who has hand-me-downs in their sizes, I’m going to be paying a pretty penny.
4. Backpacks. If you expect your child’s backpack to hold up through the entire school year, you better plan on dishing out some dough. Unfortunately, even if your son’s backpack is good to go for another school year, there’s a still a good chance you’ll end up purchasing another one because Spiderman just isn’t cool anymore.
(Speaking of backpacks, Operation Homefront feels your pain. Check out their Back-to-School Brigade that offers military children free backpacks and school supplies.)
5. Extracurricular activity fees. In some areas, parents have to pay for their kids to participate in sports in public schools so the sports aren’t eliminated altogether. These participation fees cover the cost of things like coaches’ salaries, new equipment, and travel, and they’re rarely cheap.
6. Textbook rental fees. Another MilSpouse friend recently switched schools and found out she has to pay textbook rental fees for her 1st and 3rd graders. These fees can set parents back over $100 per child per year.
7. PTA membership. We’ve all seen the PTA table set up right by the entrance of the gymnasium at every Open House before school starts, and we’ve all been accosted by that perky PTA president throwing the pressure on us to join. Of course, we all love the PTA and the ways in which they help our children, but it’s yet another cost.
8. Transportation. One of my MilSpouse friends told me she has to buy her children a pass to ride the school bus. How much is that costing her? $550 per pass!
9. Lunch accounts. I’ll be packing lunches most days, but there’s always going to be Pizza Hut Wednesdays and the “but Mom, everyone else gets to buy ice cream” days. That means depositing money into the kids’ lunch accounts.
10. Suggested donations. My jaw fell straight to the floor when one friend told me her child’s public school was requesting a “donation” of over $1,200 per child to help cover the cost of teachers’ aides, a librarian, and PE, art, and music programs. Wow. I guess I shouldn’t complain about $80 for school supplies.
What back to school expenses are putting a dent in your budget?
About Heather Sweeney
Comments
I hate buying schools supplies! I swear the reason for the 24 glue sticks and 72 pencils is "just in case" someone doesn't provide supplies for a child or two or three. My kids wear uniforms and for lots of mil families that is a huge expense especially when they multiple children to cloth. Then there is the fee to use the computers which annoys me. The $1 on Friday so they can wear jeans and $1 on Thursday for ice cream…..
I have to admit that some of those fees you talked about I would refuse to pay. $1200 for teacher aids? Umm.. can't afford them? Then don't hire them! $550 to ride the bus? I would drive my kids everyday or make them walk if we were close enough.
School fees are getting out of control! Like all things the only way it can change is if parents demand the change. For now I will buy school supplies because I label them and know I will get back whatever my kids don't use.
I believe that the reason parents are paying more is because the state governments and the federal government continue to provide less than adequate funding. The schools can't change transfering the cost to parents until the gov't actually prioritizes education and gives them more. If we want our children to gain the benefits of a good education in good schools, then we have to help those schools provide what our kids need. Therefore, I have no problem providing supplies and paying the fees so that my kids can participate in activities such as band and sports. I also don't get upset over the combining of supplies in the classroom. It doesn't matter who uses what, what matters is that the supplies are there. Yes, the costs put a dent in people's budgets, but since we are aware of the costs it would help to set aside money every month to save for the supplies and clothes.
#6, #8, & #10….Are you serious?? Suggested donations??
First..I recommend everyone go watch Indoctrination. Second, if you can..homeschool.
I know it's not possible for many families to homeschool, but if you live in a county like ours, which is extremely poor and the schools are over crowded, homeschooling was pretty much our only option.
So far, I've spent $200 on curriculum, and since we already have all the necessary supplies and we're not buying for other kids, it's been very cost effective, especially since I haven't been able to find a job.
Again, I know it isn't a possibility for everyone, but if you can, find a support group to help you through your first year. I promise it's not as hard as it seems. Apparently homeschooling is HUGE here in the Fort Bragg area (and in NC in general) and its becoming more and more popular, with homeschooling co-ops popping up everywhere. People we go to church with operate one and the teachers are licensed in their respective fields (math, science, music, elementary education, etc…) and I think that's pretty cool.
My kids also have so many activites available to them through the co-op and through church that it's hard to choose which activities to do and not overwhelm their days!
I wish everyone the best of luck this school year!
Is there a reason why my comment wasn't approved? It's not showing up….
I don't have any kids but I read the news and it seems that nobody can get a school levy passed to save the cities life…parents don't want to pay taxes, then they have to pay for supplies and sports. One way or another public school is being paid for through taxes or extra fees when taxes aren't enough.
I want my child to have the best educational opportunity she can have. Where we are stationed now that means she attends a charter school. We gladly buy supplies, tissues, drive for field trips, whatever else the need. Why? Because when I send her off to school, I know what she receives back in knowledge, compassion, and life experiences is worth far more than the money we've spent on back packs and lunch boxes. School budgets are not what they used to be, I would rather pay a fee for my child to be exposed to music, art and PE than go without.
In response to Beth’s comment on civilians, please be aware, Beth, families are families-civilian or military. It doesn’t matter where a child goes to school anymore, there are fees and supplies to buy. Comments like that make you sound entitled and as if because you are a military family, deserve more consideration above and beyond civilians. I am a military spouse as well and can’t imagine posturing my family over another’s just because of my husbands job (part time or full- it truly doesn’t matter). I’ve been on both sides of the fence, and I assure you, fees are fees, and supplie have to be bought, and can be done so affordably if you budget correctly and plan ahead.
As for the other fees and costs, use your brains and don’t cave in to PTA pressure if your budget can’t swing it. Stick to necessities and leave the extras out. And for Pete’s sake, be your kids parent- forgoing pizza hut Wednesday or an ice cream snack isn’t going to hurt them or make you less of a good parent. Use common sense instead of griping about the costs that you HAVE to pay for.
The money has to come from somewhere. School budgets keep getting hacked to pieces and teachers are often using their own money to pay for necessities like paper and pencils for goodness sake. I know, I taught high school for 12 years. Nobody wants to pay higher taxes to pay for schools yet everyone expects schools to magically be able to provide everything with no money to do so.
If purchasing supplies is truly a strain on your budget, teachers understand that, and often have extras (again, from their own pockets). Many localities also have programs to provide for kids without enough money for supplies. Like “stuff the bus”.
Brandy,
I will gladly pay more taxes if it meant that the teachers and the school had the budget the needed. I certainly don't expect to not pay taxes and want the school to provide for my children. This is the reason I suck it up and buy supplies (and at times extras) and the extra fees. I know full well that dollar I give my kids every Friday for "jean day" goes to a good cause, the PTO. There are just some that are so extreme that our own family budget wouldn't be able to handle it, like the $500 bus fee.
As a teacher and a mother, I understand both sides of the story. However, I will say this, if my students come to class with 11 extra pencils, I tell them to put their name on them and when they run out or lose their other one, they have one at hand. Budgets are being cut and the $250 tax cut maximum that teachers get each year does not even begin to cover what I, or some other teachers, purchase for the "kids." It also does not help that schools put out generic lists without considering what each team or subject needs. I think for the first week of school the only needed supplies should be paper, pencils, and a folder. This way parents can see what exactly they need without spending extra money on stuff they won't use, such as a student whose parent purchased 6 composition notebooks and none of the classes used them. It is also frustrating when a teacher specifically states the students need certain materials, then never uses them. I had this happen to my son and now we have a stacks of 5X7 index cards and several tabs and dividers (which aren't cheap). Although I am sure I can find uses for these things, not all parents are happy about using hard earned money to buy things that won't be used.
I will say this, if your school suggests bringing in extra materials and you feel you want your child to have them, put their name on it. I don't mind that, and I feel that parents should be allowed to allocate where the supplies go, even if it is to their children only. The most helpful school supply is a box of tissue though, as we often have brown paper towels or the industrial toilet paper to blow our noses. :)
AMEN!!! I don't spend money on school lunch but on occasion when I'm feeling too lazy to make them. Right now I think we are pretty lucky with the school our kids go to. We have fees but they are minimal compared to what I am reading. Another thing to worry about when we transfer…. Ugh….