Each year I share my child’s back to school list here on the blog and give everyone an opportunity to share theirs.
My son is about to start kindergarten at public school. Below is his school supply list. I estimate at full price, these supplies will cost about $130 including the $35 requested donation. I am challenging myself to see how many of his supplies I can get for FREE or very cheap. I’ll report back the weekend before school starts (August 20th) with my final cost.
Kindergarten School Supply List
Student Supplies:
(4) boxes of 8 count crayons
(1) 24 count boxes of crayons
(1) set of watercolor paints
(1) pack of washable markers
(1) pack of twistable crayons
(1) package of white copy paper
(2) bottles of white school glue
(6) glue sticks
(1) pair of pointed scissors
(1) pack of #2 pencils
(2) handwriting tablets
2″ white binder with clear front
(1) rest mat
(4) plastic folders with prongs
(1) package of band aids
(1) 1″ flimsy binder
(1) package of colored copy paper
(2) packages of construction paper
(1) package of Expo markers
(1) backpack
(1) lunch box
(1) snack bag
(1) bank bag for crayons
Classroom Supplies
(3) boxes of baby wipes
(1) double roll package of paper towels
(1) box of Kleenex
(1) bottle of Antibacterial soap or refills
(1) bottle of hand sanitizer
(1) package of Ziploc Bags
(1) box of kitchen drawstring garbage bags
(1) can lysol spray
The school is also requesting an additional $35 donation.
What is your child’s school supply list like? Can your child’s school supply list beat mine?
Donald Trump lives here. Alot of kids dont come with supplies either my daughters elem school has 80% on free lunch.I try to help out as much as I can not only with supplies but in the classrooms and making copies or doing whatever is needed. sorry what I posted above got messed up I am on my phone and it wouldnt let me edit it.
We have 5 kids – 2 in. college,1 going into HS, 1 in 4th grade and my 19 yr old Autistic son whom we are hoping gets into an Autism school to complete job training.The HS wont get any lists untill after school starts, she will need 3 lockers this year for band,P.E. and reg school books. she is also in Marching. Band this year and needs Band uniform etc.$250 + a locker +$40 a mo fees for traveling.etc. My 4th grader gets 4 lists one from each teacher after school starts and a general one from the school. My Autistic son will need to bring his lunch and a snack because it is a small school.Not sure what else he willnnneedhave to pay for a Handicapped van from the city to take him back and forth each day so thats going to be $6 a day.We live in one of the most well off citi in Fl (
The list is way too long. In my district students are only requiredto bring a take home folder, backpack and a supply fee of $35. The supply fee pays for all consumables students would use including art supplies glue paper scissors extra folders pencils tissues wet wipes zip lock bags velcto dry erase markers etc. The teachers have a shared resource room in which they take only what they need. We always have plenty of supplies that last all year. We have learned to be wise with the supplies we use throughout the year and do not ask parents for any extra supplies. My district also does grade specified buildings which also helps with supplies that are commonly used by certain grades.
Yikes! What kind of school is this?! Private school? If you combine my 1st and 4th graders’ lists it doesn’t even add up to that much and they never ask for money here. I’ve never heard of that before. What they ask for here is suggested, not a must, and it’s fairly cheap stuff if you buy it on sale. We always have too many pencils and crayons anyway so rarely have to buy that. My 4th grader has something pricey on his list for the first time this year, a 4GB flash drive. I will be looking for a sale on that so please post if you see any. Last year both my kids’ teachers sent stuff back home the week after school started, guess they had too much to be able to store it. After Christmas one of them asked for more glue, stickers, and copy paper. Glad they only take what they need and have room for at the moment.
My daughter is in middle school –
3×5 index cards
4×6 index cards
Green pens
Lg index cards
1″ binder
Folder with prongs and pockets
Graph paper
Colored pens
Small binder
Loose leaf paper
Colored pencils
Colored markers
Copy paper
Box of Kleenex
Hand sanitizer
Expo markers
And the best part….
Texas instrument (TI 84 +) calculator this is required – price $150 (cheapest I’ve found)
Terra, have you checked at Office Depot if there is one near you. I was price checking these also the other day in case my 9th grader needs one…btw is it a graphing calculator? If it is, I did spot on at Office Depot for like $49 or something close to that. It caught my attention because I saw how expensive the others were!! Good luck
Last year we had an extensive supply list – this year wasn’t so bad. BUT our school doesn’t do fund raising throughout the year so they request a $250 donation per family. $35 I’d fork over with a smile.
My daughter graduated from high school this June. It was quite nice to not get “the list”. I bought her 3 spiral notebooks for college and we’ll take it from there :) I can’t wait to see how much the textbooks cost. I have never had to buy that much stuff for either of my 2 kids when they would in grammer and high school. Egads!
My boys all have pretty regular lists (notebooks, folders, pencils) for middle school. (I have one in 6,7 &8) When in elementary they always put thier names on thier stuff and sent it home at the end of the year. So I didn’t have to buy scissors or crayon boxes every year. I always sent 24 packs of crayons. This year is going to be a challenge with Noah in Middle school as we are trying to find a good way to organize all his books for him since he will be doing the whole changing classes thing. Trying to find 6-7 different colored notbooks, folders, book covers is proving to be a bit of a challenge soo far I think I have 4. Menards and Staples have been my saving grace for supplied this year so far. Have $78 in staple rewards to use for back packs. I always sperge on the more expensive ones becuase if I let them get the cheap ones I am buying a new one before christmas.
Wow! My daughter is in private school and we’re not asked to provide that much!! Her third grade list is:
2 packages of Clorox wipes
2 liquid hand soaps
1 box of band aids
2 boxes of kleenex
NIV Bible (Christian school)
1 pack Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication & Division cards
1 lack and white composition book
2 small 3 ring binders
2 packages of wide ruled filler paper
3 folders
dry erase markers
glue sticks
scissors
Scotch Tape
ruler
stickers and photos to decorate writing journal
1 package ink pens
1 pencil supply box
pencils
colored pencils
crayons
washable markers
I found two brand new 3 ring binders and three packs of new loose leaf paper in a bag at the goodwill for $1.50, used her scissors, supply box, ruler, bible, and crayons from last year for this years loot and got the rest for dirt cheap on sale or with register rewards. I maaaaybe paid $20.
WOW! Thats crazy. Even if you combine both of my kids list they are shorter then that and we dont have to give a donation. I bought both of my kids school supplies for this year and extras for less then $30. That included 2 backpacks and 2 lunch boxes from thirty-one. That list looks like a high school list.
What happened to the schools buying things like trash bags and paper towels?? We receive a request for things like this at least once a week!! And I have seen cabinets FULL of paper towels and they still ask for more. Also, there was one school around here that wa asking for toilet paper last year…TOILET PAPER!!!!
This is obviously…ONE HOT TOPIC!!
My son doesn’t go to kindergarten until next year. However, seeing these lists got me curious. After going to the corporation website, the craziest item they need is TWENTY glue sticks!! That’s a new glue stick every other week! I’m a teacher and I still think that’s a bit much. Unfortunately, the school is brand specific too. I guess I need to try to stockpile early.
I agree with this is a very long list. I teach 1st grade and we ask for the basic supplies and then put some optional items at the bottom. So the parent does not feel obligated to buy. To answer about the garbage bags our K teachers use them to send home sleep mats and blankets home to get washed about every 2 to3 weeks. A lot of teachers ask for the headphones so children will not be sharing the same headphones and possible spreading lice.
Headphones are used for their computer time. The kids will be able to answer questions from their assigned books and do small lessons on the computer. I think it’s a great way to get the little ones used to the basics of using a computer.
My daughter is going into 3rd grade…her list has a lot of the usual’s Markers, Crayons, Pencils, Backpack, Paper towels, Kleenex, Scissor, Notebooks, Glue, Folders, Red Pens, Erasers, Colored Pencils, Book Covers, Gym Shoes, Dry Erase Markers, and a Bible.
But the weirdest items are a Silverware Tray (like the ones you put in your kitchen drawer), a Plastic Magazine Holder (I guess to put their folders in on their desk?), and a pair of Headphones!!!!
It might be bad… but I never buy the 8 pack of crayons, I can get the 24 pack for a quarter and would take out only the 8 if the teacher wanted me to. The 8 pack is usually a dollar or so.
The thing about bringing in all of the items at the beginning of the school year that annoys me is that my daughter still comes home and asks for me to get her this or that (which I know I sent in several of the same item). I appreciate the school lists that have a wish list and do not mandate the items that they could get from the custodians *(garbage bags especially). I understand the ziploc bags and other items on your list.
In my county they do not take naps any longer in kindergarten which saves that $.
Wow, I have never seen a list with an additional $35 wanted! One school I know only asked for $10 for the entire year (they used the county warehouse which Saves a ton of money).
I think this is a brilliant idea!
And my husband said homeschooling would be more expensive than public school. Bah at him!
My 10th grader:
(3) 1″ Binder
(4) 2″ Binder
(10) 5 tab divider sets
(4) 2 subject Spiral Notebooks
(1) spiral Notebook
(1) Composition Notebook
(8) Folders with prongs
(4) Sheet protector packs
(2) Report folders with clear front
(8) Binder Zipper Pouches
Red, black, and blue pens for each class
Highlighters for each class
Pencils for each class
Loose leaf paper for each binder
Spanish Dictionary
English Thesaurus
English Dictionary
Graph paper
Graphing Calculator
Compass
Protractor
Usb Flash Drive
School PE Clothing $30
Locker Fee $10
Science Fee $5
Spanish Fee $5
PE Fee $5
Plus we have to buy school approved uniforms
Plus I had to buy hole punch and stapler for her to keep with her since they have binder checks andeverything has to be kept neat and organized. And mind you this is a public highschool!
Quite a list! I have 3 in school this year and the lists are long, however doable! As a teacher, I see both sides of those lists. For the comments about stipends, remember how much your 1 childs supplies cost then multiply by the number of kids per class and try making the money stretch. I love doing get up and go activities and hands on classroom projects but cannot afford to supply the entire class for a year full of these projects. We teachers really do appreciate the supplies coming in because we can focus on curriculum and better teaching rather than where are the sales to get materials for limited projects.
Oh, and we ALWAYS get our lists after the sales are done. Why can’t they send them to us a little earlier?
That is a lot of stuff but the amount of things seemed to be proportionate with amount of taxes in your area. We pay over $1000 a month in property taxes alone and 8.125% sales tax on everything but groceries. We still have “communal” supplies that the teachers ask for but not nearly as much as yours nor do they ask for a donation. Unfortunately, the teachers need some communal supplies because not everyone can afford to buy their kids supplies. Sad fact but it happens. Teachers shouldn’t have to shoulder the load. Only way around it is for everyone to chip in or pay higher taxes. Of course I think too much of our tax money is wasted in other areas and schools should be given more instead of having their share decreased each year.
That’s a crazy crazy list for a kindergarten class. What exactly is the school providing?
I was just wondering what the $35.00 donation is for. Since when is a donation forced on you the idea of a donation is up to you and you should be allowed to choose the amount of your donation, not told the amount.
I think it is absolutely ridiculous for schools to ask for so many items. I live in a suburban area, have taught in public schools (both low and high income) and never, ever did I have to ask my parents for these things. I didn’t get a stipend eithrer. The district supplied most of the school supplies…crayons, markers, rulers, etc. If I asked parents for things, it was tissues, Lysol wipes, etc. My daughter’s list isn’t nearly this long or extensive and she goes to a tuition based private school where they shouldn’t even ask for supplies.
My oldest will just be starting Kindergarten so this whole school supply list is new to me. I haven’t received one. Is this something they send to all the parents or did you request a list? I’m just wondering if this is something they’ll send out at the last minute and I’ll be scrambling to buy everything at full price because I missed all the sales!!
Most of the time a walmart in your schools area will have school supply lists for surrounding schools. For kindegarten you can start to get the basic things that you know they will need based on lists from other schools if you cannot find the school supply list for your school. sometimes they also have them posted online on the schools site.
Usually you get a list when you register. You could possibly also check the stores. I know our local Target & Walgreen’s both have a side-panel with the names of the local elementary schools & copies of their school supply lists.
Maybe check the school district’s website or swing by the office if you have a few moments? I remember (many years ago when the dinosaurs walked the earth) when we would go to the elementary school near mid to the end of August to check the posted names of who was getting which teacher & there were copies of the supply list available then too (but that’s cutting it really close on the sales to wait that long).
You will get a list when you register but you could also look at the local stores if they have lists out for your school. Many school have all the medical forms, required paperwork and supply list on their website nowadays.
That is a long list but at least it isn’t brand specific. We live on 1/10th of an acre in a smallish town and pay $3000 for property taxes. Our public schools are some of the worst in the nation so we are opting for private school at another $5000 for Kindergarten. Our list requires expensive brand specific items down to the size and brand of bandaids. We also must supply head phones and tennis shoes that remain at the school. Plus add the cost of uniforms and a $250 activity fee for Kindergarten which seems ridiculous since they are not allow to participate in any sports or anything. We also pay $2.25 per day for lunch but my daughter will be taking hers becaue she is super picky. Oh, and we supply snacks for the class 3 weeks of the year and parents have a mandatory requirement of 30hrs of “volunteer” time.
I would talk to your teacher before you commit to brands. We did private school the last two years, and the lists that went out for supplies usually listed brand names but when I met with the teachers at open house they said it wasn’t necessary. It’s like Ziploc is used to refer to resealable bags, even when you have Hefty or Glad in your hand. Also some schools may mention particular brands on their lists because they’re Box Top or Labels For Education partners.
As a middle school teacher in a low-income school, I can tell you that I send home a school supply list and very little comes back. I make it all community items in my room because SO many kids bring nothing. We don’t get supply stipends and we don’t have materials available to us at the school. In fact, when I first started 13 years ago, I walked into a very barren room without even the basics of board markers or paper towels to clean the desks. (which, by the way, the custodial staff does NOT do.) The school often sends a list to the local stores but very rarely is the teacher consulted on what should be on that list. So, if you don’t have your child’s teacher’s name yet, I don’t know how much I would buy. Often, parents would bring in materials that I never even asked them to get because an administrator thought it was needed. My personal list was no more than $20 and because I coupon and had to often buy my own supplies for my students, I had stock piled throughout the year. Then, when parents came in for open house, I made my own “classroom packs” with all the supplies in them and they could buy them from me for the amount I originally spent for the items. Most often it was MUCH cheaper than if they had gone to buy all the supplies themselves before school started.
I love your classroom packs idea! I may need to steal that one!! We do a fundraiser with Staples called school kits. The thing is, they are on the expensove side ( fundraiser I know) but your idea helps out for those on tighter budgets and those who lost the lists since they were handed out the previous June!
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I’m a teacher and that’s the most ridiculous list I’ve ever seen. I would be horrified to ask parents to provide that much stuff!
Many teachers no longer get a stipend. I am in my 7th year teaching in Indiana and for the past four years I have not received any money to help w/ what I purchase for my classroom. On the other hand, I agree your list is quite extensive. Our kindergarten list is not near that much.
When I was in Kindergarden It was a box of crayons, pencil, scissors and kleenex. That was it. It is getting crazy with supply lists. I mean why does it have to be twistable crayons.
Wow. That seems extreme. In the school I taught in we were. It allowed to ask for paper because that is a school’s responsibility. The crayons seems awfully excessive.
Totally crazy! I don’t have any in public school anymore but college textbooks are breaking me! $400 – $600 per semester.
Go to Half.com . You can buy or rent them much cheaper there than at the bookstores.
My sister (4th year college student) uses Chegg to rent her more pricy books that she doesn’t plan on keeping as reference material once she enters her chosen field.
And if you have a Smartphone with a Kindle app or a tablet, don’t forget Amazon also has textbooks for Kindle now.
I feel so lucky. We don’t have to buy any school supplies because they are purchased through a fund in our school district. Community members have been very generous, so this has been in place for about 4 years. I’m sure it helps that they are able to purchase in bulk. I do try, however, to donate extra Kleenex, hand sanitizer and wipes. Teachers always seem to need that stuff, especially during cold season.
I think schools are getting out of hand and wasting supplies AND money! My MIL is a 1st grade teacher and she said the just use baby wipes to clean hands after recess because it’s easier than washing in the sink. Well, maybe, but think about how wasteful that is! And twist able crayons!?!? Come on, really! They really need to get back to basics! One of the big reasons we homeschool is so we can spend our money on trips spending time with each other, not wasting money on all the “necessities” that publIc school makes us buy.
I hope you realize that it’s the kids that WANT the twistables not the schools. My sons asked for them and I had no problem spending the extra 50 cents to put a smile on his face.
My kids were in private school the past two years and twistable crayons and colored pencils were on the list. My kids didn’t ask for them, they didn’t know anything about them. I did ask the K teacher why twistables as opposed to regular, and she had a good point. The smaller kids break the regular ones a lot easier. Of course my kid would twist them all the way up and they’d still break, but once I figured out he was doing it I showed him how far he should twist them. 8)
To be labeled with students name:
3 pkgs of pencil top erasers
3 durable pocket folders
1 box crayons
4 highlighters (yellow, green, pink and blue)
1 Plastic supply box or zipper pouch
1 small mechanical (not electric) pencil sharpener with lid
1 pair of scissors
2 spiral notebooks – WIDE rule, single subject
1 Composition Notebook
3 pkgs grading pens (red, blue, or purple)
1 set multiplication cards thru 12’s
1 set division cards thru 12’s
1 dictionary
1 set of headphones for individual computer use
For class use, do NOT label
5 pkgs of #2 Ticonderoga pencils
1 Ruler
1 pair of scissors
1 pkg of Dry Erase markers (thick tip)
2 glue sticks
1 roll of scotch tape for a dispenser
2 packs of WIDE ruled paper
3 boxes of tissue
3 rolls paper towels
4 yellow highlighters
1 package of construction paper – BOYS ONLY
1 package of colored computer paper – GIRLS ONLY
Teachers may request additional supplies at Open House – a list will be provided.
This is the 4th grade list. I also have a 2nd grade list that is different but similar in length.
They also request $4.50 for a Planner / Homework folder and $5.50 for the weekly student newspapers.
**Did anyone notice that my child needs a pair of scissors labeled with her name as well as a pair for donation for the classroom???
Holy crap that’s a looooooong list!!! I live in a very expensive area (Maryland), and the kindergarten list is about 1/4th of that. Of course, I have to buy two sets, b/c I have twins, though….LOL. It sounds like you are stocking the classroom for the year…..for more than just one child!
I know first hand from being a big part of my kids school that the teachers have to ask for so much because the school won’t supply them with it. Of course not everyone is going to bring in everything. The schools are limiting the number of copies they are allowed to make each month. They don’t provide line paper, pencils, crayons, things like that. The teacher still puts a lot of money out of pocket for their classrooms when they don’t very much considering the things that are expected out of them. If you can afford these thing please help them out by buying them, if u can’t do what u can.
thank you
One year the teachers at my school only received $28 for general supplies for the entire year, so having parents bring in the supplies from the list was the only way we would have what the kids needed.
I teach middle school and most of my students don’t even donate a pencil. I spend 3-5 grand a year in my room supplying everything for all my classes.
My Kindergartener’s supply list was only 5 items, counting a backpack. It included pencils, crayons, scissors, glue stick, and a box of tissues. We were lucky! I usually buy plenty of extras so they can be replenished and buy clorox wipes and hand sanitizer for the class.
I live in NYC and the kindergarden supply list is that long for public school; ours goes as far as specific brands even for the back pack!
My son is going to private school and we aren’t even getting a supply list we just told we could buy everything from the school in September which scares me ;). I know I could get it all for a lot less with sales then whatever the school is going to charge me. My only hope is that the list is short like his list was for Pre-K (we only had to pay $10 for supplies).
Holy Cow! My daughter is starting 1st grade this year and this is her list!
Crayons
Glue Sticks Large (1.27 oz)
Colored Pencils
#2 Pencils
Large Low Odor Black Expo Marker
Large Pink Eraser
Teacher wish list
Clorox Wipes
Kleenex
Hand Sanitizer
Bandaids
Ziploc Baggies; 1 Gallon, Sandwich, Snack Size
Kindergarten (private Catholic school)
2 reams white paper (at Staples after rebate costs .50)
1″ three ring binder (splurge $5)
Dividers 10 ct ($1 at Walmart, wish I had waited)
1 spiral notebook (had)
3 solid color folders no prong (.15 at Walmart)
1 pack pencils (had)
2 expo fine tip (.50 at Staples)
Basic markers (had)
Crayons (had)
2 large pink erasers ( .50 at Staples)
6 glue sticks ($1 at Staples)
Fiskar scissors (had)
2 boxes of tissue (need)
1 rol of paper towels (had)
2 packages baby wipes (had)
1 bottle sanitizer (need)
Water bottle with pop top ($1 at Walmart)
1 USB headset with microphone ($30 Amazon)
Ziplock bags (need)
Glue bottle (had)
Clorox wipes (need)
1 art shirt (had)
Backpack (had)
Lunch bag (had)
So far I’m at about $40, the bulk of that going toward the headset. I had a $15 Amazon credit I used so my out of pocket so far is $25.
My son’s K supply list (I’m estimating under $50 at full price – but lots of this is on sale pretty heavily right now):
1 back pack, labeled with student’s name
2 Containers of antibacterial wipes
1 Large box of facial tissues
1 Box of zipper bags (boys – gallon, girls – quart)
24 #2 pencils, please sharpen
4 Boxes of CRAYOLA crayons, 24 pack
1 Washable CRAYOLA markers, 8 pack, thick pack
1 Washable CRAYOLA markers, 8 pack, thin pack
1 CRAYOLA washable water colors, 8 color set
1 ELMER’S school glue, 4 oz. (no non-drip)
8 ELMER’S large glue sticks
1 Hard frame 3-ring binder, 1 inch (solid color)
4 Large size dry erase markers, low odor, wide tip, BLACK
1 Plastic supply box (5×8)
1 Pair of scissors, blunt tip
1 Sturdy pocket folder
Art Shirt, labeled with student’s name
I have heard that around where we live here in NY that they are requiring electronic tablets for 6th graders. It is actually on the list of school supplies!!
That’s pretty close to my daughter’s kindergarten list expect I have to supply 10 large pencil erasers, 4 packages of dry erase markers, 10 packs of 16ct crayons, 20 pencils and 10 jumbo glue sticks and snack for 35 kids once a month. They’re not for her use they’re to “share with the class”. I always stock up for my girls bit now I have to stock up for the classroom as well.
Trust me, your kid will go through the glue sticks, markers, and erasers :) but that is a lot of crayons. I don’t ask for that many in my class.
OMG! I feel for you. I have 4 in school this year. K, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. All that I need for the first 3 is $10 and a backpack. Thank goodness, because the list for my 4th grader is large enough. I would hate to know the cost if all 4 of them had lists.
Is that teacher having you buy supplies for her house, garbage bags? Crazy
I spent over $2,000 on my classroom last year. Schools don’t have the money to even give us a supply budget anymore.
That’s not at all fair. I’ve heard this sentiment before and it is ridiculous. I am an educator and the longer I teach, the less money I get for supplies. Almost every teacher I know spends tons of money out of pocket each year just so the kids have the basic supplies.
My guess is that the garbage bags are for soiled clothing or something similar. This is kindergarten we’re talking about…
Also, 6 glue sticks doesn’t sound like a lot if you’ve ever seen a 5-year-old use them. They just love to crank them open all the way and smush an inch of glue on the paper to adhere a small piece of paper, lol.
I agree I don’t teach but it makes me crazy when people say ” oh the teacher should cover that not me.” Isn’t it better for each parent to bring a few extras then the teacher buying 30 out of their pocket. How much do you spend for you job people? really
The Trash Bags are to bring the nap mat home to wash it. They also use it in the extra trash can in the classroom.
Seriously? What an ignorant comment. Do you know how much teachers pay for supplies on their own? I get so sick of parents complaining about supplies every year at this time. Complain to the school board, because I am pretty sure these lists are coming from the heads of the schools and not the teachers.
My kids have not started school yet but when they do I don’t mind buying the supplies needed to give them a great and fun education. Teacher have very small budgets and in poorer communities there is even less to go around. I went to a school like that and overheard a teacher talking to another teacher once about how 48% of the school was on reduced or free lunches. That was 15 years ago when the economy was good. I know our art teacher bought A LOT out of her own pocket. My mom always bought all the stuff on the list, not always name brand but she did fill the list. Many kids in class didn’t bring half the stuff on the list. Our list were not big at all either, we’re talking paper towels and hand soap. It just puts added strain on the kids and teacher when parents don’t band together. You have to think these supplies are for a whole school year.
Just as an FYI…your taxes pay for a LOT in schools. Primarily, the teachers’ (and other employees) meager salaries, free breakfasts and lunches for underprivileged students, building maintenance, etc. There have been a ton of budget cuts lately and supplies are the first things to be cut in most schools. I no longer teach, but when I did, I spent approximately $500-$1000 of my own money each school year. When we ran out of paper, I had to go to kinkos and pay for the copies I used in my classes. I bought all of our art supplies, everything needed for “fun” projects/experiments, tissues, hand soap, etc. I worked in a low income school and the parents rarely, if ever, sent school supplies, tissues, or anything else. Six glue sticks may sound like a lot, but your child will go through at least that many in a year. The crayons, well, that’s a little overboard. I also don’t think kids that age need markers. And the school nurse should have a budget for band-aids. Most of these things, though, will probably have your child’s name written on them and will be given to him as needed.
My kids go to a private school in the 3rd largest city in the Us. Our list is not even that big.
1. 1 large pink eraser
2. 1 12 ct colored pencils
3. 2 folders
4. 2 medium point black or blue pens (may
be erasable pens)
5. 1 pr 5” scissors pointed tip
6. 1 24 ct Crayola crayons
7. 2 red pens
8. 2 notebook filler paper 200 ct wide rule
9. 1 12” ruler inches/metric
10. 5 composition books (marble cover)
11. 12 # 2 pencils (not mechanical)
12. 2 glue sticks
13. 1 heavy duty zip pencil case
14. 1 pkg. index cards ( lined ) 3X5
15. 1 8pk washable Classic Crayola markers
16. 1 highlighter
17. 2 boxes Kleenex
18. 1 12pack self stick post it notes 13/8 X 17/8”
As a public school teacher it’s sad to say that our stipen doesn’t come close to covering what we need in the classroom. Copy paper alone eats up most if not all of it. And there is always at least 2 kids in the class who do not bring supplies at all.
that’s an awful lot!!! declan’s is much shorter for first grade and i’ve gotten things cheap or out of my own stock of things i bought for my classroom last year and had left over.
http://www.oakcreek.k12.wi.us/pdf/Supplies/EMS_supply_12-13.pdf
Check out what my 6th grader has to buy. I may need a small loan for this one.
Check out this link to what my 6th grader has to buy! I may need to take out a small loan for this one!
http://www.oakcreek.k12.wi.us/pdf/Supplies/EMS_supply_12-13.pdf
A rest mat? Here in south Florida schools there is no such thing as rest time!! We are lucky we have time to take the kids to the playground!
8th grade supply list
4-1 inch three ring binder
Multiple dividers
Standard loose leaf paper
Blue or black pens
#2 pencils
3*5 ruled index cards
Spiral notebook
Graph paper
Colored pencils
Modeling clay
That list is insane! The one item that I don’t think a kindergartener would use is a 2 inch binder. As a teacher I can’t imagine a 5/6 year old using one on class. And Trash bags? Doesn’t the custodial department cover that? Strange.
Here is our kindergarten list for the entire school district:
3 or 4 boxes of 24 count crayons
10 glue sticks
1 box washable markers
1 box colored pencils
1 box black dry erase markers
1 pair Fiskar scissors
2 plastic pocket folders
1 box #2 pencils
1 ream white copy paper
2 fat primary pencils
1 box of tissues
Backpack
Lunchbox-optional
The binder might be to create a portfolio of their work samples. I use to do that with my students, but purchased them with my own money.
Yes, the binder is for special art projects and stories over the year.
Wow! I’m a middle school teacher at a title one school. We’re only allowed to request lined paper and pencils.
We are also a Title 1 school. Our list wasnt huge but we stil have to buy crayons pencils and things like that.
oh wait til they start needing $100 graphing calculators lol
I know it’s getting close for me and I already want to start a “fund” for it scary
The list for my 2nd and 4th graders is about that long. Haven’t gotten the 7th grade list yet. Luckily, I was able to finish the 4th graders by just picking up two things as the rest was already in the stockpile from things I’ve picked up over the year. :)
I’ll also pay $95 in registration fees for the three kids.
I think about 90% of what we send in are “community supplies”. They only keep their scissors, pencil box and white board in their desk.
Here is our elementary school list. All items are OPTIONAL. I do send supplies with my kids, but if you don’t the school supplies everything.
School Supply list
Kindergarten
white glue
crayons
pencils
a towel for rest time
Grades 1-6 (items selected should be age appropriate)
glue/glue sticks
crayons
pencils
eraser
folder with inside pockets
scissors
rulers – with inches and centimeters
notebook paper
pens – blue or black – (grades 5/6 only)
pencil box
Dang, that is a lot. We never have to send paper and they usually assign boys to two “classroom items” and girls to two other ones. I hope they don’t end up with a lot of excess. One year my neighbor cleared out her new classroom and gave me a paper-case-sized box of ziploc bags that parents had been told to send but never got used.
I almost never pay for school supplies cuz I buy extra and Menards last year had a lot for 9c or something after rebate so I stocked up. Sometimes they might generic or not exactly the right size, but I do my best to get as close to what the teacher wants as possible.
Mine list is for half day PreK and almost as long as yours:
Grade Pre-K
One-Time Supplies
Full sized backpack
1-antibacterial liquid hand softsoap (7.5 oz with pump)
1-antibacterial hand sanitizer (8 oz)
4 – cans of play-doh
1 – art smock
1-Box of baby wipes
2-2 pocket paper folder without clasps (orange, black)
1-Box large Crayola Crayons (8 count)
1-conical tip crayola washable markers (thick) (8 count)
1 – glue stick washable
1 – Elmer’s washable school glue white (4oz)
1 – copy paper white ream (500ct)
1 – Crayola washable watercolor paints with brush (8ct)
1 – Dixon Beginner Pencil #2 Ticonderoga 2H w/Earaser
1- Storage bags (9ct Quart) –
*Emergency Clothing (shirt,pants,socks,underwear)
Monthly Supplies
1-roll of paper towels
1-package of napkins
1-package of 8 oz cups
1-box of tissues
1-bottle/can of juice
Holy cow! I work at a school and haven”t seen a list that long. But it also looks like they want you to stock up for thw whole year. It is a good idea to do that this time of year as the stuff is on sale big time. I had three kids go through school and used to try to do that. I still grab a bunch of these items as there is always some kids who just cannot aquire the supplies they need.
I would inquire what the 35 dollars is for and request a reciept for you taxes since they are calling it a donation.
Sounds like a staples trip is in your future.
btw. check the end caps at target as they mark this stuff down after the school year starts out here.
my son’s pre-k requirements:
(1) backpack
(1) set of clothes to keep in the classroom
(1) blanket or towel for naptime
also, we pay weekly for lunch, since they have to eat from the school lunchroom, and there is a $10 activity fee. everything else is provided
I think I win! Our school district doesn’t “do” supply lists. The only things they require of the kids (elementary at least) is a backpack and sneaker for PE days.
By the way, I stumbled upon your facebook page a few months ago, and liked it, but didn’t really pay attention. Then I started noticing the posts, so I checked out the “Start Here” section… I’ve always been a couponer; my biggest downfall is buying things I don’t need because it’s SUUUUUCH a great deal! But the novel way of saving for Disney did it for me. I started last week and I officially have $64 in my Disney piggy (well, savings account)! Only 15 months until our first trip! THANK YOU for inspiring me!
Awesome Heather!
That is a crazy amount of supplies! I’ve never seen a list that long, and I am a teacher! Good luck!
That is way too much-Wow!! My son is going into Kindergarden was and the most expensive thing was the mat which was 13.00- backpack and refill cup was a a bit steep but will be used a lot. Some schools down here are so poor that they ask for toilet paper.
oh and we pay $50.00 for fees
What is the mat for? Do your kids take naps in Kindergarten? If so, that’s crazy!
Is this a private school? That seems like an awful lot!! My son’s going in middle school & I’ve never had to buy that much!!
My son’s back to school list for fifth grade is:
1 large glue stick
1 package of dry erase markers in four colors
1 dry erase eraser
4 12 ct #2 sharpened pencils
1 pkg of 100ct wide ruled filler paper
1 pair of 5 in. pointed tip scissors
2 rolls of paper towels
2 boxes of tissues
3 1 subject notebooks (red, blue, green)
1 1 in. 3 ring binder
1 quad ruled spiral bound notebook (graph paper)
1 pkg of colored pencils 12 ct
1 box Ziploc bags gallon size
1 flashdrive
1 highlighter (any color)
My daughter is in high school so she can just get whatever she thinks she needs.
Wow!
WOW! That is a long supply list for a Kindergartner! I just spend less than $35 for a Kindergartner and 4th grader, including a new book bag and lunch pal (my older daughter agreed to use the one from last year again). Crayola has a great coupon out right now $3 off $10 so I was able to stock up on crayon, markers, etc for home too! Plus I used a $10 off $50 at Shopko!
My daughter’s list is almost that long, but it has to be brand specific. To me glue sticks are glue sticks. I can see crayola crayons versus roseart.
my 1st grader comes to 89.95 total.
When we lived in MO, and my son was going to start Kindergarten, our school supply list was two typed pages long. And don’t put names on anything but the scissors, bring everything in a large paper grocery bag to meet the teacher night. Then they put all the glue, crayons, etc, in a classroom closet and shared it all amongst the class. So in essence, we were supplying the classroom.
We moved to NE and he had a half-page supply list and all items were “suggested.” My sister told me that someone had sued the school because they “required” all these supplies. Now the school needs to supply all required needs if the student isn’t able to supply on their own.
I am a teacher in NE and the only request that we have made has been for tissues. BUT, I was shopping at Walgreens the other day and saw a display with school supply lists by grade level. The impression was that it was what you need to purchase for your child. I don’t know who created the lists but was shocked to see the supplies listed for the grade I teach.
I moved from another state where we could not require supplies, only request donations for the room. I know that packs of copy paper seem silly but that was an item I requested every year. We were limited on the number of copies we could make but had so many things that required copying. Having parents supply paper helped meet the need.
I live in Oregon and 2 years ago my daughters school district stated that School Supplies are suppose to be part of a free education and we were NOT to buy any supplies. Well of course they bought the cheapest supplies for sale (which didn’t last very long) and us parents that know how to shop “gifted” good supplies to our teachers. All the elementary schools gave the teachers the supplies but, if you were in middle or high school you had to go to the office and tell them you could not afford to buy any supplies and then they would provide them from the supplies that were donated from local churches. Of course not very many children asked because it is embarrassing for a child of that age to admit their parents can’t afford to buy them the necessary supplies. It seems that the “Free School Supplies” cost our district TO much money that this year there WILL be a supply list that we will not get until registration Aug 20 for middle school and 23 for High School. I have one daughter in each grade. I don’t want to know the cost of registration. I have heard that we now have a locker fee (PE & regular locker), their PE uniforms, Id card fee, Art & science fees. And this is only for the Middle School. I haven’t heard about High School yet. I am only preparing because my daughter will be in pre AP classes and I know they have to buy their own books.
that is a lot. you will be able to do it cheap for sure. The $35.00 donation is NUTS. The list for the classroom supplies is crazy too. Don’t know exactly where you live but, with the amount of taxes we pay ( average in my district is $15,000.00/yr) if our schools asked to also pay for those things i would flip.
Our property tax is very low. My house is 1/8th of an acre in a subdivision and our property tax is $410 a year. Our tax on groceries, clothing, etc is 10% though. Ouch!
10% sales tax!!! I guess I better quit complaining about that 6.75% I hate so much. Ouch Kristin…. from a family of teachers I can tell you that very little of your tax dollars goes to classroom supplies and teachers have to buy alot for kids and their classrooms out of their own pockets and with the govt these days sadly, teachers are getting cut in positions and overall salary. Its is sad for both the educator and the kids that are to be educated.
:(
I was thinking the same thing!! We pay over $3,000 in school taxes and all I could think of was, “why are they asking you to get supplies like this plus a donation???” Seems a bit extreme on all the crayons too – a 24 pack is way cheaper than the 8 packs around here at least and I’m not understanding why they need twistables on top of that too?? Plus all that copy paper and construction paper, etc – those seem to be classroom supplies to me as well….
Can’t wait to hear how you do?? Maybe you could offer to shop for them instead of giving them $35 – you could probably make it go 5 times as far :)
That’s a crazy list! I have 5 kiddos – three in public school and we have to get classroom supplies and shared things like crayons, but nowhere near that much! We have 3/4 acre in the county in NC and pay $1000 in property taxes, 7% sales tax on everything (food, etc). I think the biggest change for us has been the sharing supplies – I would much rather they have their own things. For instance, they had dry erase markers on their list. My 6 year old is notorious for getting them all over his clothing. I bought the washable crayola ones for him, but I fear they will be put into a “group bucket” and I’ll still be buying new shirts all the time! :( (And I’m not against helping others out – I always send in extra crayons, etc)
WOW $410 a year for taxes, WOW WOW WOW. I pay $12,000 a year and have NO property, yes NONE! I live in a townhouse in the suburbs in NJ :)
If you were in an area that recieved snow, you would have to add snow pants and boots that remained at school!
I am thinking that you can get all of this for way less than $30!
Thats insane, my oldest is 17 and just started college so I have done 13 back to school lists and not one of them was that big. Why on earth does each student need 4 small packs of crayons, 1 large pack and a pack of twistable crayons?? That’s just rediculous.
You win! The craziest thing on our list is 4 dozen pencils for a 4th grader. That is more than one pencil a week!
I went through over 1000 pencils in my class last year. I kept the boxes and added them up with my students the last week of school.
HAHA – I need 5 packages of Ticonderoga #2 pencils….I was thinking the same thing as you — how will 1 4th grade child need THAT many pencils? Especially since their work will be done on LAPTOP this year!!!
Trust me they will use it. Lots of erasing while editing papers. I student taught third grade and it’s amazing how quick pencils get too short to write with.
Geez! That is a lot of supplies! I remember when I was in school that you bought for yourself and yourself only. You didn’t buy 6 glue sticks which will most likely be shared with the class. But that was back when teachers had a budget for in classroom stuff. I shudder to think at the cost when my girls go to school!
i am so…..bewildered by all of this! i thought our school supply list was nuts {my little guy goes in NEXT year, but i stockpile {of course} so hoping to knock most of it off the list} but your list is way more extensive than ours.
maybe im being naive—but our taxes pay for……what was it again?
we never had this when i was growing up—our school supply list was what we needed individually—not some communal hoarding of goods.
of course the teacher shouldnt be responsible for it, but i thought they were granted stipens to cover that kind of stuff. oh well. the way the economy is now, i guess it goes with the territory!
I am a K teacher and this supply list is shorter than my school’s list. What parents dont realize is that many districts have $0 in supply money now or a tiny amount and we are forced to use certain companies that are allowed “on bid” (the companies’ cost for items is 3x that of a typical store–crayons $2 a pack,) For example- I was lucky to have $75 this year. Here is what I got with that money- one case of copy paper ($46), 3 packs of sentence strips (about $15), and one alphabet puzzle for a learning center ($14).
Now when you factor in that my district could not afford to buy the consumable textbooks (no hardcover in K), we had to print the pages of those books they didn’t buy us from online. Add a homework packet a week and mandated writing paper (we had to copy), I went through 5-6 cases of paper last year which I paid for out of my own pocket. So yes the supplies are needed.
My students go through 3-4 packs of crayons per year and they aren’t sitting and coloring- they are used in science centers/literacy centers/reading groups/handwriting.
As for the $35 it could be a field trip fund (we never even took one because with gas prices for county school bus, the transportation and zoo admission would have been $15 a kid), or it might be used for Science lab supplies (or similar).
As a teacher I can say that YES, this is a big list, but if you think a $100 stipend in the fall and a $100 stipend in the spring are going to supply community supplies, you’re mistaken. The great thing about community supplies–at least with my classroom–is that kids never have to replenish throughout the year. Inf fact, I send home with them the leftovers. It’s THEIR stuff–teachers don’t hoard–they share. If you feel like the something on your list is too much, talk to your child’s teacher. Most lists are a “best case scenario”, knowing that most kids won’t bring in everything, but ideally, this is what’s needed. Aside from the lunch kit & backpack, I try to keep my students’ list to about $30.
Diane,
I work in a preschool, and you are exactly right. Our school budget is so tiny, it hardly covers anything plus we have to order from our school supply company where everything is triple the price. The tight school budget is not from inappropriate use of funds, it is because of the state cutting the amount of money that goes to the schools.
It is awesome that as a teacher you label all of the supplies brought in and return the unused items to the students. I have never seen a teacher return all of the items. However, I have seen many teachers clean out their classrooms and through away pefectly good items. If I taught Elementary (I teach high school) I would label all of the items and return any items unused. I love it when different schools have a wishlist for their school supply list. That makes it better for the parents who cannot afford all of the items.
Agreed. My mother in law works in the library at a school and she is always shocked at how much they toss out. She says it bothers her immensely that so many teachers toss out notebook paper and binders simple because they are opened or have a name written on them.
From a frugal side I don’t see why they can’t just put the notebook paper in the binder and cross the names out. I really can’t understand the reasoning on their part.
Oh my goodness, and that is KINDERGARTEN? That seems like a ton of stuff. My son is going into Pre-K, but I always pick up the school supplies lists anyways and donate to those bins they have at stores.
That is ridiculous! That is triple what I have to do for my kids.
Wow! That sure is a lot! My son is going to be in fourth grade this year and I do not think I have ever had to buy that much! I really can not believe you have to buy that much and they still want 35.00. Good thing you coupon and shop the way you do! Good luck, I can not wait to see all the good deals you get!