Supply Lists...Should we have to buy the teachers supplies? - Page 2

The only thing we have to supply for the class is kleenex.
Our schools have not put optional things on the list if people wish to buy more, only what your child needs.
Connor only had two things on his list for grade one, kleenex and 5 glue sticks. Austin had about 6 or 7 things.
I agree 100% Heather. If you can afford to have the non essential extras then you should be able to get your child their things on their lists for their education.

Boy, I don't know about the rest of you, but around here school supplies are EXPENSIVE! If I had elected to get the 1st grade "package" of supplies for Ally at the end of Kindergarten, the cost was $55 - and was thru the school! I didn't have the money, so I didn't get it. And since our supply lists don't come out until August, I didn't know what all she would need. Lucky for me, I tend to stock up on things at the end of September when they are like 90% off, so I already had over half of what she needed. Getting the rest of it cost me over $40.

Now let's talk about middle school. They don't do supply "packages" in middle school. Want to know how muc it cost for the MANDATORY items on Drew's list? $163.00 Yes, you read it right! Part of that was 2 specialty binders that cost $10 each (they look like check holders). Another $20 was spent on yet another "specialty" folder - times 2 = $40. Then there were the 3 packs of dry erase markers (for math) and they HAD to include an eraser, at $8 a piece. And that doesn't even include the binder/notebook I had to get him to keep all of this crap in (which wasn't mandatory, but there was no way he could carry it all!)! Then add in the normal supplies like paper, pens, etc. See where I am going with this?

I live in a prosperous school district - we moved here specifically for the schools and the programs they had that could help Drew. I'm sorry, but I pay $3200 A YEAR in property taxes, 68% of which is allocated for the schools. There are neighborhoods near mine where people are paying as much as $10K a year in taxes. I'm sorry, but with that kind of money coming in I really DO have a problem having to supply teachers with their supplies. My school district is in the top 10 in Texas and our teachers are amung some of the best paid. And while I don't mind helping out, I DO mind being forced to do it. Our elementary teachers have wish lists that come home with the kids about 4 times a year. If it is some of the things I got cheap, then I am happy to share. But I don't like HAVING to buy them supplies.

That being said, we also have an extremely active PTA at Ally and Drew's schools. 40% of the money we raise goes directly to the teachers to help with classroom expenses. Ally's elementtary raised $28K last year. Drew middle school raised $45K. These are NOT huge schools (Ally's is the second smallest elementary in the district, Drew's is the smallest middle school), but that means that they are getting the supplies the parents buy, the extras that are sent in from the request forms PLUS almost $17K for the elementary and $27K for the middle school. I'm sorry, but if they can't buy all the supplies they need from that, then they are spending WAY too much. And just so you, the PTA also sets aside a certain percentage of funds (according to the school population) to buy supplies for those who can't afford them.

And I know all this because I am on the finance committee for both PTA's. So yeah, I have a problem having to buy "extra".