Chris Klassen, a parent of three students in the Blaine School District, spends between $150 and $300 per year for required supplies as the new school year begins, but thinks all Whatcom County districts should cover the costs.
“It would be great if they were all uniform in the way that they operate, and it would alleviate a huge burden for I’m sure, not only my family, but a lot of families, to not have to worry about supplies,” he said.
Some Whatcom County school districts cover all or part of annual supply costs. But others don’t provide supplies, and instead provide support for those costs to low-income families through school districts’ family resource or support centers, and through back-to-school block parties.
These costs can be significant for families, especially those on an already tight budget. According to the National Retail Federation, parents of students K-12 expect to spend $141.62 on school supplies this school year, minus clothing and technology — that’s $6.3 billion in total across the country.
- Bellingham and Nooksack Valley school districts provide all needed supplies to reduce expenses for families.
- Mount Baker and Ferndale purchase supplies for elementary students and have support available through district family support centers for secondary students.
- Lynden, Blaine and Meridian districts ask parents to purchase a list of supplies for children for all grades, but parents also provide support through district family support centers.
One school list given to parents for a Lynden Middle School seventh grader requires purchasing at least 15 items, from a square root calculator to earbuds to packs of pencils and highlighters. That is in addition to specific clothing and shoes required for physical education classes.
Some districts have long covered costs for school supplies to help parents.
In Bellingham Public Schools, Project Free Education, launched in 2011, began by shifting elementary school supplies costs from families back to the school district. In the 13 years since, the project has expanded to the point that the district pays for all essential school supplies, and eliminated middle and high school course fees.
“Fundamentally, it’s thinking about all the little costs that make a free public education, not actually free for families,” Communications Assistant Director Dana Smith said.
Smith said Bellingham district spent $92,000 last year on school supplies for just over 11,000 students, with the funding coming from levy dollars. She said the district has “buying power” as they buy in bulk.
“There’s something that happens when you’re handed a list and told, buy this for your child and have it on the first day of school,” Smith said. “Even if you’re not able to, most parents take a huge amount of pride in preparing their kids for school and they want to get them what they need.”
The Nooksack Valley School Board voted to cover school supplies costs around a decade ago, Superintendent Matt Galley said. Galley said the program remains a “top priority” for the board with budgeting every year. Funding for supplies comes from the Educational Programs and Operations (EP&O) levy providing a specific budget for each school.
Ferndale School District and Mount Baker School District also provide all needed supplies for elementary students.
“Very simply, the students need to show up with a backpack on the first day of school, and we’ll have what is needed for them,” Interim Superintendent Nick Perigo of Mount Baker said in an email.
Secondary students may have to provide some of their own school supplies, Perigo said, but the district’s family service coordinators can also support families who need help. These funds come out of the district’s general fund, but Perigo said they’ve seen a “dramatic increase” in recent years of community organizations purchasing school supplies and donating them to the district.
Communications Director Celina Rodriguez at Ferndale School District said the funding for school items comes from levy funds. Secondary students are provided with basic materials, but may have to purchase extra beyond commonly used materials like paper and art supplies.
Rodriguez said the Family Resource Center helps with additional materials throughout the year. She said the district’s upcoming annual back-to-school event will include backpack and school supply giveaways, and added that the Lummi Nation Employee Training Center donated more than 200 backpacks.
Upcoming back-to-school events can help parents who need support with school supplies costs:
- Bellingham Back-to-School Block Party, Saturday, Aug. 24, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Bellingham High School
- Blaine School Supply Distribution, Wednesday, Aug. 21, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Blaine Middle School
- Ferndale Back to School Event, Saturday, Aug. 24, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Ferndale High School Commons
- Lynden School Supply Distribution Day, Thursday, Aug. 22, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Main Street Campus
Charlotte Alden is CDN’s general assignment/enterprise reporter; reach her at charlottealden@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 123.
