Most Schools Ask Parents to Buy Almost $100 of Back-to-School Supplies

 Most Schools Ask Parents to Buy Almost $100 of Back-to-School Supplies

## Introduction: The $91.55 Question

It's back-to-school shopping season, which means parents are calculating just how much they can afford to spend on school supplies, what children can reuse from the year before, and what on teachers' lists will have to be abandoned. The average total spending to buy the whole list? **$91.55** for an average of 15 items for those who shop at Target and Walmart, according to TeacherLists.com, a website where more than a million classroom teachers have posted the items they want their students to buy.

The days of students making an annual trip to the office supply store with their back-to-school shopping lists in hand have gotten an internet-age makeover. With one click, parents can add all the items on the list to their online shopping carts at Amazon, Staples, or Office Depot. But that convenience doesn't make the cost any easier to swallow.

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## The Numbers: What Parents Are Actually Spending

The $91.55 figure represents only the basic school supply list—notebooks, pencils, folders, glue sticks, and similar essentials. But the total back-to-school tab is significantly higher.

According to the National Retail Federation, families with students in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of **$863.86** on back-to-school items this year, up slightly from $858.07 in 2025. Total K-12 spending is expected to reach a record **$43.3 billion**.

Here's how that breaks down:

- **Electronics**: $293.11 per student (slightly down from $295.81 last year)

- **Clothing and accessories**: $323 per child (up 22% from last year)

- **Shoes**: $174.01 per family (up 2.9%)

- **School supplies**: $146.45 per child (up 1.9% from $143.77 last year)

A Good Morning America-Ipsos poll found that parents said they'd spend an average of **$118 per child** on school supplies alone, and a total of more than **$800** on sports gear, clothes, books, technology, and other back-to-school shopping. Two-thirds of parents said back-to-school shopping is more expensive this year, and nearly nobody said it's cheaper.

In Chicago, a Deloitte survey of K-12 parents found they planned to spend **$794 per child** on back-to-school items this year, up 7% year over year. And the Groundwork Collaborative estimates that school supplies and lunches for the 2026-27 school year will cost families close to **$4,000 per child**—a 10.7% increase from last year.

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## Why Costs Are Higher: Tariffs, Inflation, and the Iran War

### The Tariff Impact

The cost of school supplies has risen nearly **8%** since last year, according to a report from the Century Foundation and Groundwork Collaborative. The report points directly to the Trump administration's tariffs on imported goods as a primary driver.

Many of the items families bought for last year's back-to-school season were imported before the tariff rates hit. "This is actually the first year where the majority of goods that families are buying on the school supply list are imported and coming in at the higher tariff rate," said Lindsay Owens, president of Groundwork Collaborative.

The makers of school staples such as Elmer's glue, Sharpies, Expo markers, Mead and Five Star notebooks, and Logitech headphones have all spoken publicly about raising their prices because of the tariffs. Newell Brands—the company behind Sharpie, Paper Mate, Expo Markers, and Elmer's Glue—raised prices repeatedly last year due to tariffs costing them over **$300 million** between 2025 and 2026. Logitech, which makes headphones and other classroom electronics, was hit with tariffs as well, passing the costs onto customers.

### The War in Iran and Rising Oil Costs

The Iran war has also contributed to rising prices. The conflict has driven up oil costs, which increases shipping expenses for everything from notebooks to sandwich bags. "It's increasing everything from shipping costs that companies are paying, all the way to the sandwich bag that your kid's lunch goes into," said Angela Hanks, chief of policy programs at The Century Foundation.

Gbenga Ajilore, chief economist at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, explained that the price increases are driven by rising oil costs from conflicts overseas. "Parents have been getting hit hard all year long with higher gas prices, higher prices for goods throughout the summer," Ajilore said.

### The Items That Have Spiked the Most

Some essential items have seen eye-popping price increases:

| Item | Price Increase |

|------|----------------|

| **Lunch boxes** | 26.7% (up to $18.91) |

| **One-subject notebooks** | 23% (up to $4.92) |

| **Index cards** | 22.2% (up to $3.86) |

| **Notebook paper** | 20% (up to $1.08) |

| **Tissues** | 20% or more |

A typical basket of school supplies—including notebooks, paper, pencils, and glue sticks—now costs nearly **$175**, almost 8% higher than in 2025.

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## The Human Cost: Real Parents, Real Struggles

### Princess Heard's Story

Princess Heard, a single mom of two in Roswell, Georgia, starts putting away money for fall back-to-school supplies as soon as her kids come home from their last day of school each spring. She budgeted that she would need $200 this year to outfit her kids with new backpacks and the items from their teachers' lists. She took online surveys for cash to make the money.

When she took her kids to Target the day before school started, she kept a calculator open on her phone, tallying as they put what they needed into the cart. She hit her $200 maximum before they finished their lists. "The deals weren't as good as they normally were, in previous years," she said. "We didn't get as many supplies as I normally do. … Usually I'm able to get everything". Heard ended up deciding not to buy any of the classroom supplies the teachers requested, like wipes and tissues.

### Brandi McGrath's Experience

Brandi McGrath, 48, of Salt Lake City, usually buys quality, long-lasting school supplies for her 9-year-old son and his teachers. But sharp increases in the cost of folders, pencils, and other products have forced her to cut back and search for cheaper alternatives. "It's insane how expensive things have gotten," she said. "I'm looking for every sale I can".

### Karin Kaiser's Shock

In Daytona Beach, Florida, Karin Kaiser was similarly struck by the cost of back-to-school shopping this year. "It is crazy," she said, estimating that she and her husband spent way over $100 on just notebooks and looseleaf paper for their two daughters. "That's not counting what we had to pay for back-to-school clothes, shoes, haircuts".

### Karen Mannerino's Calculation

Karen Mannerino, a Chicago parent, remembers spending less than $100 on school supplies for all three of her kids. Now, as two kids head into second and fifth grade and the oldest starts 11th grade, she estimates spending about **$300 total** to complete each child's supply list. In prior years, she purchased a box with the required school supplies sold by her children's school. The box this year was **$125 per kid**. "This year, I just felt like the box price was so much that I could probably get it cheaper if I bought it on my own," she said.

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## The Broader Impact: Debt, Stress, and Tough Choices

### Taking on Debt

**Forty-five percent of parents** say they plan to take on debt to afford back-to-school shopping this year, according to the Groundwork Collaborative and Century Foundation analysis. This comes as many households are already dealing with higher everyday expenses from inflation and high gas prices stemming from the war in Iran.

A Credit Karma survey found that parents are being forced to stretch their meals and take on debt to cover the rising costs.

### The Stress Factor

The financial strain is taking a toll. "Parents are making really tough decisions about how they're going to make ends meet at this time," said Angela Hanks of The Century Foundation.

For lower- and moderate-income households, the burden is especially heavy. "Especially for low- and moderate-income households, we have cuts to SNAP programs, so food assistance is going to be difficult," Ajilore said. "People have had to make decisions about health coverage because that's become more expensive. And so you just add this bigger burden on these families as we're thinking about going back to school".

### The Classroom Supply Gap

When parents can't afford everything on the list, it's often the classroom supplies—the tissues, wipes, and other items teachers request for shared use—that get cut first. Princess Heard's decision to skip those items this year is a story repeated in households across the country. Teachers end up filling the gap out of their own pockets, or classrooms go without.

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## What Parents Can Do: Tips for Saving

Despite the rising costs, there are ways to soften the blow:

**1. Shop sales.** Target said in a news release that 95% of its school supplies are at or below last year's retail prices, with items like 24-packs of Crayola crayons, double packs of Elmer's glue, and pocket folders for 50 cents each. Walmart has also dropped prices on many school essentials.

**2. Reuse what you can.** Annie Redlin, a nurse in Rochester, Minnesota, who shares parenting ideas on her website, asked her three sons to gather up all their leftover supplies and dump them out on the floor ahead of their first day of school. She called out each item on their teachers' shopping lists, asking if they already had it in the pile.

**3. Compare retailers.** A Chicago Sun-Times analysis of school supply lists found significant price variation across stores, with Walmart's store brand often offering the lowest prices.

**4. Start early and spread out purchases.** Karen Mannerino started shopping in June and continued buying throughout the summer to manage the cost.

**5. Create a sinking fund.** With the average $863.86 per family cost, setting aside about $67 per month can cover next year's back-to-school expenses.

**6. Take advantage of tax-free weekends.** Many states offer tax holidays for back-to-school shopping, though some families may have missed the window.

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## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

### 1. How much do schools ask parents to spend on supplies?

The average total spending to buy a typical school supply list is **$91.55** for an average of 15 items when shopping at Target or Walmart. However, parents report spending an average of **$118 per child** on school supplies alone.

### 2. Why are school supplies more expensive this year?

School supply costs have risen nearly **8%** due to a combination of factors: tariffs on imported goods (which affect brands like Elmer's, Sharpie, Mead, and Logitech), rising oil costs from the Iran war that increase shipping expenses, and broader inflation.

### 3. Which school supply items have seen the biggest price increases?

Lunch boxes are up **26.7%**, one-subject notebooks are up **23%**, index cards are up **22.2%**, and notebook paper is up **20%**.

### 4. How much are parents spending overall on back-to-school?

The National Retail Federation estimates families will spend an average of **$863.86** on back-to-school items, including clothes, shoes, electronics, and supplies. Total K-12 spending is expected to reach a record **$43.3 billion**.

### 5. Are parents going into debt for back-to-school shopping?

Yes. **45% of parents** say they plan to take on debt to afford back-to-school shopping this year.

### 6. How can I save money on school supplies?

Shop sales, reuse items from previous years, compare prices across retailers, start shopping early, and take advantage of tax-free weekends.

### 7. Is this just a problem for low-income families?

No. While lower-income families are hit hardest, the rising costs are affecting families across income levels. Even upper-middle-income families (those making $100,000-$199,000) plan to spend less because they are worried about the economy.

### 8. Are retailers doing anything to help?

Yes. Target and Walmart have both said they are keeping many school supply prices at or below last year's levels.

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## Conclusion: The $91.55 Question That Keeps Getting Harder

The $91.55 average school supply list is more than just a number. It's a reflection of the broader economic pressures facing American families—tariffs that raise the cost of imported goods, a war in Iran that drives up oil prices and shipping costs, and inflation that erodes purchasing power.

For parents like Princess Heard, it means choosing between buying the wipes and tissues teachers request or staying within budget. For parents like Karin Kaiser, it means spending over $100 on just notebooks and paper. For the 45% of parents who plan to take on debt, it means starting the school year already in the red.

The rising costs are not just a financial burden. They're a source of stress, a barrier to opportunity, and a reminder that for too many American families, the basics of education are becoming unaffordable.

As Angela Hanks of The Century Foundation put it, "Parents are making really tough decisions about how they're going to make ends meet at this time". The question isn't whether those decisions are getting harder. The question is what we're going to do about it.

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## Disclaimer

*This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or professional advice. The data and statistics presented are based on publicly available sources, including the National Retail Federation, Deloitte, the Groundwork Collaborative, The Century Foundation, TeacherLists.com, and other cited sources as of August 2026. Price estimates and spending projections are subject to change. Before making any financial decisions based on the content of this article, please consult with qualified professionals who can evaluate your specific situation.*