With the new school year right around the corner, many parents are finding their shopping lists to be more expensive than ever.
“This year was more of like, no, you don't need that. We only need this bare minimum," said Kelly Grassle, Nipomo resident. “Obviously trying to shop as cheap as possible.”
Many parents are facing an expensive back-to-school shopping trip this summer.
“The backpack was pretty expensive. It was kind of shocking," said Robert Jimenez, Arroyo Grande resident. "$75 for a backpack. Usually we're used to about $35 or $40, so yeah, there was a price increase.”
To manage, some are opting to reuse last year's supplies.
“My son didn't get a new backpack this year," Grassle said. "He only just had kept his backpack that he had from the year before.”
A new report from the National Retail Federation found that the average household will spend roughly $875 on school essentials this year. That’s significantly higher than five years ago when the average was $697.
“Once we bought like all that stuff, it was just kind of a kind of check it out of our grocery budget," Grassle said.
While some schools provide families with lists of needed school supplies, the 2024 California Education Code requires that public schools provide all supplies, materials, and equipment at no cost to students or their families.
“I remember growing up in the 90s and it was a huge deal. You would go to your local Staples and buy all kinds of supplies," said Naomi Grewal, Orinda resident. "And now, we don't really have to worry about that in our school district, which is wonderful.“
For charter school parents like Marcia Downing, state government funding also helps cover supplies. Each student receives a certain amount, which covers expenses like teacher salaries and school supplies.
“It'll be a challenge not to lose pens, and I'm planning on keeping a little money left over just in case we do lose all of our pens or get halfway through the school year and need some more printer paper," Downing said.
According to the National Retail Federation report, more than half of the parents who have not yet purchased supplies are waiting for the best deals.
