Notebooks. Pencils. Glue sticks. Lunch boxes. Scissors. Nearly every item families – and in many cases teachers themselves – need to purchase for the start of the school year has gone up in price at a time when American families already feel crushed by rising costs.
A new analysis from the think tanks Groundwork Collaborative and The Century Foundation finds that the cost of back-to-school items has increased roughly 7.7% over the past year, and the cost of school lunch items has increased 11%.
Together, the upcoming school year will cost families close to $4,000 per child in supplies and meals. And it comes as a majority of North Carolinians (54%) say they are having difficulty affording their regular monthly expenses, such as groceries, utilities, and transportation, and nearly two-thirds (64%) have cut back on their regular purchases over the past month. It’s no wonder that nationally, nearly half of parents (45%) said they plan to take on debt just to afford back-to-school shopping.
Rising costs aren’t inevitable. The increase in school supply costs is a direct result of two of the Trump administration’s most disastrous actions: higher tariffs and the war in Iran.
Newell Brands, the maker of Sharpie pens, Elmer’s glue and other classroom products, said earlier this year that they would hike prices to offset sharply higher tariff costs.
Meanwhile, Acco Brands, the parent company of notebook and binder brands Mead, Five Star and Trapper Keeper, said that higher oil prices stemming from the Iran war have driven up the company’s costs and led to price hikes for consumers.
While the Trump administration’s actions continue to put a squeeze on families, North Carolina officials are looking to ease the strain.
Earlier this summer, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein held the annual Governor’s School Supply Drive. The Governor’s Office, in partnership with State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU), the North Carolina Parent Teacher Association (NCPTA), Boys & Girls Clubs of North Carolina, and Communities in Schools of North Carolina, donated supplies to students in need across the state.
“Students learn better in a classroom that is equipped with the tools they need to succeed,” said Gov. Stein. “By donating supplies, we can provide foundational materials that will help set our kids up for another successful school year and relieve teachers of that burden.”
