Of Cats and Kids

Back-to-School: The supply list

Posted by: Carol Lombardi

Monday, August 13, 2007 11:35 AM

We recently ran a letter to the editor titled, "School supply list is way over the top." The mom was bemoaning the school supply list for her two Franklin Middle Schoolers, which demanded, among other things, 18 boxes of kleenex, 11 glue sticks and ten sets of colored pencils.

The point of her letter was not that she had to buy school supplies, but that the list had obviously not been edited, which only supports my thesis that editors are extremely important. She also had issues with the concept of shared supplies, where kids bring supplies that are pooled for class use. If you look at the Franklin list (scroll down and choose your format), it is a bit convoluted.

My daughter's list this year is so very modest that I worry that the teacher is buying things herself. Personally, I don't have a problem with sharing items and even buying extras just in case. But I see where people might object to being forced to contribute. Charity should be voluntary.

As a parent making the leap from private to public school this year, I am a novice at back-to-school supply shopping. My daughter's private school didn't require me to buy supplies - it was all included in the $425 a year "supply fee." In that context, 18 boxes of kleenex seems quite reasonable.

The National Retail Federation's 2007 Consumer Intentions and Actions Back-to-School survey found that families with school-age children are expected to spend $563.49 on back-to-school merchandise, up 6.9 percent from last year's $527.08 average. Total back-to-school spending this year is expected to reach $18.4 billion. That includes clothes, shoes and accessories, though, which is another story entirely.

The cost of future back-to-school shopping could jump by $175 if My Child's Pack catches on. Because, after all, who wants to be the only parent to send her kid to school without a bullet-proof, knife-proof backpack?

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