[Kadi]

I have been busy getting ready for back to school, which was yesterday. Five of the seven seeds are going to school now, so prep work takes a few days and hundreds of dollars. I did not even buy them new clothes this year and it still cost us a pretty penny! With the budget cuts on education, the school supply list is expanding far beyond pencils and folders. Here is a list of the things we were asked to purchase:

*several packs of lined paper
*box of pencils
*erasers
*6 glue sticks
*bottle of glue
*folder
*3 ring binder
*baby wipes
*2 boxes of tissue
*scissors
*ruler
*crayons
*markers
*dry erase markers
*pencil box
*highlighter
*dividers
*snacks
*dry erase board eraser
*antibacterial gel
*lysol

Now...multiply this list by five. Crazy, isn't it? I'm going to have to get a job flipping burgers if we are to afford school supplies, much less anything else! The teachers will also be sending home a list of requested additional supplies on top of the above requirements. Aren't our taxes supposed to cover the cost of school? Not only are they underpaying our teachers and laying them off, now we are having to shovel out more money for things that should be paid for with tax money. Ridiculous.

[Melissa]

I know- and some of the things on my boys list's really didn't seem necessary for learning either LOL I feel so bad for single moms- how do they afford this stuff?

[ClarissaNassar]

yeah, my daughter's 2nd grade list is nearly as long as this one..it is crazy! PLUS her school will ask for MORE stuff mid year! I just go out and buy tons of stuff when it goes on clearance at the end of the month and save it for the year as we go along...crayons, glue sticks, markers and folders almost always need to be replaced! You can get those things for really cheap at the end of Sept. at Target!

[chaostocalm]

The high cost of free public education is one of my pet peeves. Our state uses over 60% of the state budget to pay for public education. Yet, in our district all day kindergarteners are asked to supply 36 glue sticks alone. Crazy. What does one kindergarten student need with 36 glue sticks?

I have ten kids at home - college age to one year. Nine attend school somewhere- public & private. School supplies for the public school children are certainly more costly than anywhere else. I don't get it. I get really disgusted when lists ask for certain brands. It's expensive to buy all of those supplies. It shouldn't matter about certain brands. I, too, buy on sale and keep a huge bin of supplies for whomever needing whatever.

[MrsAshley]

That is terrible! Why in the world should one parent have to buy all of that? As the previous moms said I recommend stocking up on it in September. Awful, just awful.