Some Schools Trimming Supply Lists

As families struggle with expenses, some school districts are trying to help out by trimming the list of required school supplies. MPB’s Cari Gervin has more.

According to the National Retail Federation, families will spend an average of $83 on back to school supplies this year – and that doesn’t include purchases of clothing, shoes or electronics.

And in these tough economic times, that’s a lot. But a few school districts across the state are doing their part to help out.

“You know, we try to save our people money anyway we can.”

Ken Basil is the superintendent of the Union County School District, which has 2700 students. He’s spent the day painting the district office himself, so the county can save the cost of hiring a professional. And he’s worked with all the schools to figure out what supplies they already have.

“School by school, item by item, we’ve looked at things. If we’ve got excess in something, we’ve asked parents not to purchase that. There are some things, unfortunately, they will have to purchase.”

Things like pens and pencils, binders and paper. And it’s that three-hole-punch loose-leaf paper that Andy Bynum is after at Wal-Mart in New Albany. He’s shopping with his grandson Noah – Bynum says he buys the school supplies for all 13 of his grandchildren. And while he’s happy that the list of back-to-school supplies is shorter this August, he suspects the savings won’t last long.

“Once you buy that, it seems like they go to school one day, and they send ‘em back with another list asking for more supplies or, or some supply fee or something.”

And with tight budgets in school districts across the state, a smaller school supply list may not stay that way.

For MPB News, I’m Cari Gervin.