-
Login
-
Digital Edition
-
Print Edition
- Most Commented
- Most Commented
- Most Emailed
- Most Emailed
- Popular
- Popular
« News Home
Rising cost of supplies puts parents in a school daze
Tweet
Nate Jones, 11, of Youngstown shops for back-to-school supplies with his sister, Lucy, 14, and mother, Lanore, at Target in Boardman. The Huntington Backpack Index, a project of Huntington National Bank, reported that the cost of school supplies this summer jumped significantly from last year.
By Karl Henkel
BOARDMAN
Lanore Jones has a simple approach when it comes to shopping for school supplies.
Get it done.
“I know they have specials at different stores,” said Jones, who recently shopped at Target in Boardman with her two children, Lucy, 14, and Nate, 11. “But I just try to get it done.”
Nate’s back-to-school list ran 25 deep and included highly specific items such as ultra-fine and fine-tip black permanent markers.
“How many permanent markers do the kids need?” Jones said sarcastically.
She estimated that by the time school starts, the cost of school supplies would surpass $100 — excluding clothes — which is a burdening cost but shallow compared to the average costs for a middle- or high-school student.
In fact, the Huntington Backpack Index, a project of Huntington National Bank, reported that the cost of school supplies this summer jumped significantly from last year.
Huntington has tracked the costs of back-to-school shopping for six years, and never before have costs risen so drastically.
“It’s amazing,” said Maureen Brown, public-relations director for Huntington. “Especially because the supplies haven’t changed a lot over the years.”
Huntington’s annual survey of the cost of items on school-supply lists found that between summer 2010 and now, high-school costs jumped 9 percent, from $1,000 to $1,091; elementary-school costs increased 12 percent, from $474 to $530, and middle-school costs rose 25 percent, from $545 to $681.
The list of requested items also seems to be growing.
In South Range, parents of kindergarten students are requested to provide two packages of Clorox wipes. At Struthers Middle School, parents are asked to provide a roll of paper towels.
“Over the years, we’ve seen hand sanitizers and Kleenex,” Brown said. “Those things are becoming more of a requirement in every school district.”
Brown said one new item being requested is jump drives, which can cost as little as $7.
That’s a relatively cheap form of technology compared to the TI-Nspire graphing calculator required by Algebra II, probability and statistics and intermediate algebra/geometry students at Austintown Fitch High School.
The schools offer the calculators, which come in two models, for $125 or $135. Retail costs for the calculators are as high as $160.
Some parents also have to worry about extracurricular costs. In Canfield schools, it costs $100 per student, per sport at the middle-school level and $200 per student, per sport at the high-school level.
So what’s a parent to do?
In terms of basic school supplies, there are a couple of options that have grown in popularity, according to a study conducted by Deloitte LLP.
About 55 percent of polled parents say they will buy only necessities, and 26 percent say they will reuse last year’s supplies in an effort to save money, something Andrea Woroch, consumer savings expert, says should be done first.
“When you get the [back-to-school] list, take inventory and shop at home first,” she said. “For an elementary student, if they need a box of crayons, look through their playroom or through a drawer and you could potentially put together a box of crayons.”
Consumers also plan to use smartphones and social networks as cost-savers. About two-thirds of surveyed shoppers said they plan to use smartphones, using applications such as Coupon Sherpa, for back-to-school shopping and to get price information. About 43 percent said they’d use smartphones to download coupons or discounts.
One-third of consumers will use social networks, according to the study.
“It’s playing a big part in consumers finding ways to save,” Woroch said. “We see a lot of retailers building Facebook stores.”
Woroch said retailers, currently fighting over belt-tightened consumers, are going the extra mile by offering online promotions and special coupons.
“Any consumer who is a fan or likes a certain page will get those updates in their news feed in real time,” she said. “It’s a win-win for the retailers and the win-win for the consumers.”
Comments
As the old saying goes, "Folks, ya ain't seen nothin yet".
sorry Margaret my son doesn't have a cell phone, silly bands, xbox etc but whats silly is the price of school supplies ...my sons uniforms are in great shape so I didn't have to buy him any of those and they still fit him but whats ridiculous is the silly amount of supplies these teachers want. When I went to school is was ordinary pens, pencils and notebooks maybe some loose leaf papers.... For each of my sons subjects I need 3 ring binders that have to be a certain size 2 inch etc, only certain kinds of pens, certain ruled paper, index cards, white out, all kinds of stuff ....do these teachers think we are made out of money...heck even usb drives....where do are tax dollars go? Shows alot goes to schools ...then why do we have to supply so much junk? You are right Photoman its only going to get worse.
teachers have so much time off they think of more junk for the kids they (need) all in the name of higher education.
some of these Teachers need to teach the children real life skills.
planting a garden to feed themselves
how to pick up a paint brush and paint
how to catch a fish . (ect.)
not everyone is going to grow up and sit behind a desk and push buttons.
The truly hard part about this is you need to buy these supplies usually twice a year because some parents don't send their kids with anything and teachers pool all the supplies so the pencils I bought are used by some kid whose worthless parents didn't buy him any. And we have to buy all these binders because kids don't bring home books anymore so not only do the school districts tax the life out of us, they also have us now supplying the kids books because they cut them out to save money.
If they went to Youngstown City schools the supplies would be subsidized. Since they are taxpayers though, they have to pay for them.
I am a teacher and I taught high school in Brooklyn before moving back home. I spent anywhere from $700-$1000 of my own embarrassing salary in supplies each year. Just so my kids had what they needed to enjoy a functional learning environment.
They sort of appreciated the supplies but it's hard to watch kids destroy markers/white out/etc. that you paid for.
My guess is that teachers have had enough. The disrespect with which the greater Ohio community has treated its teachers this year was the last straw. And, yes, as that disrespect grows, so will your supply list because we have done so much for so long that folks seem to have forgotten how much we do.
Go ahead, tell me how much money I make and how little I work. More disrespect...sadly I'm getting used to it.
no wonder kids don't learn anything maggie would be better off teaching goldfish.
Some of these schools/teachers are getting ridiculous with their school supply demands. Are you really going to fail my kid if I don't bring in a roll of paper towels? or fine tip permanent markers? "Well Mr. Smith Joey is the smartest kid in the class, he got perfect scores on all his tests, but I can't let him move on to the next grade because he took all the tests in pencil instead of BIC blue ink. Oh and by the way that calculator for the Fitch class, never needed it in college, never. I graduated with a double business major. Please explain yourselves Austintown School Board.
It's the people who wouldn't last five minutes in a classroom with today's students, who are always the most vocal in their criticism and disrespect for teachers.
Wasnt it China that decided you could have only ONE daughter and the boys should go into the military ?
This breed machine has to stop !!!!!!!!
now look we owe everything to China...
Re-instate corporal punishment
Funny that these kids are required to purchase all of these new calculators, paper towels, and all of this stuff. I just graduated and I got by on a 15 dollar ti-83 off of ebay; granted books were expensive but you could find ways around it usually.
I don't remember ever having to bring hand sanitizer to school; what in the world.
To whitesabbath:
Actually China has a one child policy; not one son and one daughter.
This policy has led to many Chinese couples seeking abortion of girls and producing what will soon be a male dominated society.
Of course I do not understand how your comment applies to the article of the high cost of school supplies.
Dagwood, of course you didn't need it for college, you were a business major!
Everyone knows that Business Administration and Marketing are what the kids take who are too dumb for Economics.
(If you were Finance or Accounting, that's respectable, but Bus Ad is on a the same level as Communications)
Oh boy, well I asked for it.
I'm actually very good at what I do and I chose to leave my career in genetics/cancer research to teach. I happen to be very good at conveying science concepts to kids. I didn't stay for the holidays - I had those off at my other job. I do not have "summers off"...technically, I am laid off every summer because I am not paid for those days. What perks? The health benefits that I pay three times as much for as I paid at my genetics lab?
Look, I know you guys hate teachers. I'm not sure why we're so hated in Ohio but I'm pretty sure that that hate is not going to work out well for the future of our kids.
I'm done with this message board. I've vowed to not check this anymore so have at it. But please, don't make empty, mean-spirited attacks on my character. It's unneccesary and does not strengthen your point - whatever it may be.
Margerat...You Nailed It!!!!
Maggie.....Laid off?? You get a pay check every 2 weeks moron!
Older kids probably can't even help the parents pay for supplies with the teenage unemployment rate.
50% in D.C.
Maggie Pentz, I hope you read at least one more letter on this board. Please don't let a few negative knuckleheads get you down. They probably couldn't pass Lunch 101 in school and have a hate thing going against all teachers. No one knows what teachers have to deal with in today's world with today's kids unless they have taught school themselves. My husband is a retired teacher from Yo. City Schools and I have 3 kids who have graduated from public schools and I would say 99% of all their teachers were dedicated, energetic, talented, and selfless. So hang in there, there are many of us who support you and who will be voting this fall to support you.
I will be voting this fall against you and your Democratic puppets.Praise our Leader B.O.
peacelover, I went to public schools not too long ago and I would say what you have are 1. Extremely discouraged teachers. 2. Very bad students who do not need to be in school.
That's why I think that if kids don't want to be there to learn then let them drop out. If you aren't going to even try, why should you bring down those that do.
Maggie said Look, I know you guys hate teachers. I'm not sure why we're so hated in Ohio
Just say thank You Gov. K--KK and remember
“Never argue with a stupid person for they will only bring you down to their level and then beat you with experience
Freeatlast, I'm NOT going to argue with you(as per your quote) because YOU are the MOST experienced "person"!!!
Enjoy being at the BOTTOM
I don't understand the hate of teachers and lack of respect for them. No need to even blame the gov. for it. Even if you support SB5 there is no reason to think they all are a bunch of greedy slouches. They have a lot to deal with, especially in Youngstown schools. I wouldn't work in Youngstown schools for any $ in the world. But all areas have hard working teachers, they don't have a cake job just because they get summers off. I'm disheartened by the negativity shown to teachers now just because of money. Remember, they still take care of our kids every day! and no, I'm not a teacher and have no dog in this race