Finding ways to save money on school supplies

Once upon a time, parents who sent their children to private schools had deep pockets. Now, with certain policies in place, it can be fairly expensive to send a child to public school.

“I don’t know if there’s a price tag we can attach to school supplies or even come up with an average cost,” said Sonja Bailes, public relations liaison for Bossier Parish Schools. “Supply lists vary according to school and the classes a child takes.”

Mary Nash-Wood, assistant director of marketing and media services for Caddo Parish Schools, said the same is true across the Red River.

“Each school has their own discretion in requesting supplies for students with some teachers amending the list to meet the needs of their classrooms,” Wood said. “As a district with 62 schools, there are a variety of lists as determined best by the teachers and administrators at campuses.”

Becky Clark and her husband, Todd, were not really prepared for the cost of sending their son Eli to kindergarten last year.

“I never knew it would cost so much to send a child to public school,” she said. “We paid an average of about $60 for his supplies.”

Wood said pencils, paper, folders and binders are sure bets, but there are updated supply lists at caddoschools.org and bossierschools.org. She also said that in some cases, Caddo campus administrators do not have a uniform policy in place.

Bailes said, it also varies per school in Bossier Parish.

So, what do parents do when the cost of attending public school puts a strain on the pocketbook?

“Many of our schools have uniform closets with the specific purposes of helping students bridge the financial gap in gaining uniforms but also, in some cases, appropriate shoes or other clothing needs,” Wood said.

Networking on social media and checking second-hand sales may take off the edge.

Clark admits hers may not have been a typical situation when it came to Eli’s uniforms.

“I tried to purchase as much as I could via second-hand shops and consignment sales,” she said. “I got lucky and had a few friends give me some hand-me-downs as well. We would have spent way more if not for finding deals and being OK with second-hand.”

Clark predicts she would have spent close to $150 if Eli’s uniforms were right off the rack.

“If we had bought them new, we would have paid about $5 per shirt – that was the cheapest we found them, and I wanted to make sure we had about seven shirts.

Second-hand, I paid between $2 and $3 per shirt.”

Shorts were about $10 per pair, she said, while pants were around $14 per pair.

“Again, I tried to shop secondhand for most of this. Secondhand I refused to pay more than $5 to $7 for shorts or $9 for pants,” she said. “I stayed with the plan of having seven pairs of everything. We didn't even try to buy long-sleeve uniform shirts.”

And don’t forget about shoes, she warns.

“Most kids need a new pair to start the school year,” Clark said. “We spent $20 per pair, and we bought two pairs, just to have a back up – but I have friends who spent way more.”

So, instead of that $150 for all-new uniforms, the Clark family spent closer to $60, which is good, since little sister Addie will be in school in a couple of years.

As for other supplies, “What I can say definitively for our students that are not able to purchase or acquire supplies, there are a number of options both through our district, as well as our phenomenal community partners,” Wood said.

Bailes agrees. “We receive a tremendous amount of help from community sponsors,” she said. “United Way and KTBS are sponsoring school supply drives.”

Wood said Volunteers of America are also among others that have become essential in providing school supplies for economically disadvantaged students.

Each year, during late July and early August, these organizations and others, including churches and volunteer organizations, host school supply drives with the donations going directly to the campuses where they are needed most.

“Simple Church and First Bossier are always wonderful about helping our students in need, and Northpoint Community Church is hosting its first back-to-school uniform and school supply giveaway July 23,” Bailes said. “Eligible students are given invitations by counselors at the end of the school year to participate in the giveaway. For those families new to our district whose students are in need, they can let their school counselor know, and they will be able to provide assistance.”

Caddo Parish school district is home to a dedicated team within its Homeless Education Department.

“These dynamic employees work with families and organizations to gather supplies including backpacks, color pencils, paper and more to get them into the hands of children determined to be homeless under federal guidelines,” Wood said.

– Melissa Airheart