It's already time to get the kids ready for the new school year. That means new clothes (and in some cases, uniforms), shoes, backpacks, lunch boxes and school supplies. Have you parents noticed that every year the list of school supplies multiply? It looks like we are buying enough supplies for the entire class instead of just our own kids. Maybe that's because we are. I went online to a local public elementary school website and looked up the school supply list for kindergarten for the upcoming school year. Here is what I found:

  • $3.75 for kindergarten planner
  • 6 boxes of 24-count Crayola brand crayons. That is 144 crayons per child. If you have an average of 15 children in the class, that comes up to 2,160 crayons. My question is, does it have to Crayola brand? You can get "off brand" crayons much cheaper.
  • 24 glue sticks. For a class of 15 children that's 360 glue sticks.
  • 4  Expo brand dry-erase markers (there's that brand name again!). For a class of 15 children that's 60 dry erase markers.
  • 20 pencils (or 300 for an entire class of 15).
  • Crayola brand watercolors
  • 5  boxes of 100 count tissue. That's 500 tissues and for a class of 15 children that's 7,500 tissues. I know kids get sick a lot, but wow!
  • 1 Ziploc plastic bags, quart size.
  • 1 Ziploc plastic bags, gallon size.
  • 1 roll of paper towels
  • 1 box of wipes
  • 1 Anti-bacterial soap
  • 2 erasers
  • 3 spiral notebooks - single subject, wide ruled
  • 1  packet of manilla paper
  • 2 poly plastic pocket folders - solid color with center brads
  • 1 school box
  • 1 pair Fiskar's brand blunt metal scissors
  • 2 bottles of white Elmer's glue
  • 1 ream white copy paper

Then a note is at the bottom of the list that reads, "Parents please do not label your child's supplies. Just put them in a grocery bag with your child's name on the bag!"

The total of the above supplies without tax is about $80-90.

Now, I understand that a lot of  students do not bring school supplies, and some just can't afford to buy supplies. In this case, I am happy to donate to the cause. I know teachers have to buy supplies out of their own pockets and I can sympathize. I never mind helping out with extra supplies, but some of this seems extreme.

We all want our kids to have the best education and to be prepared for school. That's why it is so important to give to organizations like Path's school supply train and to KNUE "Biker's Rule For School" so that we can all share the burden and it's not just on the shoulders of a few!

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