From a 2017 Huntington Bank Backpack Index report, the study examined the average cost of school supplies for the 2017-2018 school year. As mentioned in the report, parents were expected to pay $662 for elementary students; $1,001 for middle school students; and $1,489 for high school students. This is an average rise of over $566 in just the past 10 years.
While typical supplies such as pencils, pens and binders might not pose a significant burden to middle-class families, families from low socio-economic backgrounds are increasingly finding it difficult to equip their children with all of the supplies on the extensive lists provided by their teachers. According to a survey conducted by Junior Achievement, a financial literacy non-profit organization, “60 percent of U.S. parents struggle to pay for school supplies”.
After spending over $27.6 billion on school supplies in 2017, this year’s collective expenses are expected to rise. These rising costs can truly become a burden on parents. From colored pencils, to backpacks, to new clothes, the affordability for families to send their kids to school with new items has significantly diminished. Therefore, Delivering Good strives to ensure that kids with low socio-economic backgrounds have proper access to new school supplies this upcoming school year with our back-to-school campaign. For more information on how you can help, please visit www.delivering-good.org
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Sources:
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/back-school-supplies-cost-much-average-mortgage-n797191
