Supplies burden for some
Long lists of items add up, but offiicials cite other options
School supply list
As an example, this is the current list for second-grade students at Stiles Point Elementary on James Island.
--No rolling bookbags, please!
--Please label supplies for second grade.
--2 boxes of Kleenex — large
--1 pair Fiskar scissors — pointed end only
--2 boxes of crayons — 24 colors
--1 pack of EXPO dry erase markers
--1 box zip-top bags — any size
--4 paper folders, 2 pockets with brads — no plastic folders
--8 gluesticks
--1 pack of Crayola makers — classic colors, broad tip only
--2 packs of No. 2 pencils with erasers — 24 yellow pencils
--5 marbled composition books
--1 art bag — no boxes due to size
--1 box of Clorox wipes — large
--2 large pink erasers
--1 pack of colored pencils
--1 pack of looseleaf notebook paper — wide-ruled
--1 hand sanitizer — alcohol-free
Grandparent and retired school librarian Bitsy Foster wanted to help her family with some of their back-to-school costs, so she offered to pay for the supplies for her two grandchildren.
After receipts for her sixth-grade grandson at Moultrie Middle School totaled $120, she backed down on her offer to pay for the younger grandchild's supplies.
"I was scared to look at that list," she said. "Schools are asking for more, and it's gone beyond the absurd. I just think somebody needs to stop it or it's going to get worse."
Thousands of Lowcountry students returned to school this week, and the back-to-school supply lists issued by local schools have put a dent in many of their parents' bank accounts. School supply lists typically ask for much more than just paper and pencils, and often include items such as glue sticks, scissors, zip top bags, highlighters and hand sanitizer. It doesn't appear that schools are requesting more materials from students, but perhaps the difficult economic times have made the costs even more troublesome.
School officials were quick to say that the requested supplies are just that — requested. Most schools have a list, but officials in Berkeley, Charleston or Dorchester 2 said students are not required to bring those materials to class.
"These are more suggestions than mandates, and our principals are totally flexible about it," said Elliot Smalley, Charleston schools' executive director of communications.
Although he hadn't received any calls from concerned parents, he said the district was ready to help families in any way possible. The school district already has been working with community groups to provide free supplies through events such as the First Day Festival, the Hands of Christ distribution and the Hootie and the Blowfish concert tour.
Still, some were concerned about the lists handed out by schools. Foster questioned why schools requested so much — 24 pencils, for example — and said the lengthy lists were "totally unnecessary." She said students need less than half of the materials that were listed.
Alicia Owens, a James Island constituent board member, said if Charleston County schools can't afford the supplies that it requests, it should cut back on other programs. She disputed the district's assertion that the materials were not required and wondered why, then, did schools even distribute those lists. One school official's response was that the lists were distributed because some parents want to know what they should buy for their children.
"It's like you're sending your kid to private school with the cost of uniforms, supplies and packs of notebook paper," Owens said. "You hear people grumbling about it every year. All you have to do is go to Wal-Mart and stand at the end of the supply aisle."
She said she's bought school supplies for her grandchildren in the past and said back-to-school expenses easily tally $250 per child, including uniforms and fees. The school district should limit requests made by teachers because a classroom doesn't need 90 boxes of crayons, she said.
"Does the supply monster come in and eat them up?" she said.
Steve Burger, principal of Stiles Point Elementary on James Island, said teachers don't want to burden anyone with their requests, and they are conscientious in ensuring they don't single out students who weren't able to bring in the requested supplies. Although it would be tougher without those materials, they would make do, he said. If students don't have the requested supplies, the school provides them, he said, and only some of what's bought, such as Kleenex and hand sanitizer, is shared by the entire class.
Most classrooms go through all the supplies that students bring to class, and parents may be surprised by how quickly students use items, he said. A brand new pencil in the morning could be a stub by the afternoon, he said.
Kate Darby, chairwoman of Moultrie Middle's School Improvement Council and president of the East Cooper PTA Council, said a number of options exist for parents who don't have money to pay for requested items. This year, she said she only spent $100 on her two children's back to school supplies, and $40 of that was a new backpack. She said she went through her house to find many of the items requested by the schools.
"You don't have to go out and buy everything new," she said.
She also encouraged parents to ask their children's teachers whether they need all the items on their lists.
Some also have taken issue with the fees charged by schools. Some Charleston and Dorchester 2 schools charge student fees at the beginning of the year for instructional or classroom materials. Some Charleston schools charge as much as $45; the fee in Dorchester 2 is a standard $20. Berkeley County doesn't charge student fees. School officials in both districts said those fees are not required, and those who can't pay are not forced to do so.
Reach Diette Courrégé at 937-5546 or dcourrege@postandcourier.com.
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Comments
CedarPosts (anonymous) says...
"Grandparent and retired school librarian Bitsy Foster wanted to help her family with some of their back-to-school costs, so she offered to pay for the supplies for her two grandchildren.
After receipts for her sixth-grade grandson at Moultrie Middle School totaled $120, she backed down on her offer to pay for the younger grandchild's supplies."
Well Well....
Got to love a Grandparent who offers to pay but backs down at the check out lane.
Come'on Granny pay up or shut up!
I remember my mother spending hours making book covers for me and my brothers. She could have "bought" the shiney "batman" "NASCAR" or "hot wheels" covers but she saved a few dollars and made our covers.
We had the coolest book covers that where always loaded with fun features. Zippers, blue jean pockets, pictures of cars, monster trucks and football teams.
And when we became too old to have "cool" covers, she made them out of paper bags that we would later draw, and write insane rock lyrics and phrases "keep on trucking" from edge to edge.
One the other hand teachers who create massive lists of supplies are just feeding their shopping addiction.
My 15 year old nephew who attends a private Christian school, was required to purchase a laptop computer that cost $1,232.99! Of course that was the "special school" price! And they offered a "rental" arrangement where you paid $99.99 per month for 24 months. Do the math!
Wow have times changed.
August 22, 2008 at 2:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lemonhead (anonymous) says...
the amount of school supplies are terrible,why do kidss need to bring in paper towels,kleenex and hand sanitizer for the school?? the school should supply that,i got supplies for 3 kids and only spent like 120 for allits called BUDGET shop... check for sales or buy one get one
August 22, 2008 at 4:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
abitskeptical (anonymous) says...
Our kids are not going to school "for free". People work hard, pay all sorts of taxes-property, income & sales taxes.
It ain't "for free", especially for those who happen to own more valuable property...their "tuition" is higher then everyone else's.
I'd say that those paying 2,3,4 X what others are paying in property taxes have a right to "fuss" a bit about being asked/told to fork over even more for supplies.
August 22, 2008 at 6:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
moonpie (anonymous) says...
abitskeptical, eh didn't the state remove that portion of your property tax? The part that goes to the schools?
August 22, 2008 at 6:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
abitskeptical (anonymous) says...
With that said(my above post), I will add that I also went through the desks at home & gathered up the scissors, colored pencils & highlighters, pencils, pens & erasers that have accumulated over the years.
I even found a completely blank marble notebook as well as tons of blank paper in last year's binders (I'm not sure that was a good thing!)
I haven't bought the asked for colored pencils in about 3 years. After years of buying them for our 1st 3 children I finally asked myself why I had to ever buy them again, seeing as how I am sure we have more colored pencils than God!
August 22, 2008 at 6:29 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
karmann (anonymous) says...
Instead of being upset over the cost of supplies, uniforms, and fees, parents need to be outraged over the fact that CCSD has many failing schools and has had them for many years. CCSD would like to place much of the blame on administrators and teachers. This is probably true in some cases. I personally see the problems steming from the lack of preparation that a child receives at home. Are parents reading to their young children, are they getting enough sleep, proper nutrition, proper promotion of learning, and good discipline. When the home is taken care of, then many of our problems will be solved.
August 22, 2008 at 7:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Riptide (anonymous) says...
I got an idea. Have grandma go around and ask her neighbors to help pay for her grandchildren's education. Better yet, get a liberal democrat to do her bidding for her.
August 22, 2008 at 7:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lou9 (anonymous) says...
Maybe if these school districts didn't waste so much taxpayer money on overpaid and ineffective superintendents and administrators there would be enough money for classroom supplies. These lists are riduculous.
August 22, 2008 at 7:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
DoaMM (anonymous) says...
I never had a list offered by the school for "required" or "suggested" school supplies but I think a pencil, paper, notebook, and MAYBE a small calculator should be the only requirements. If you are in a computer class, I can also see a flash drive being a requirement, but all the rest of the crap on the list is for parents/children to compete against each other for "who has the most money" and "I'm better than you".
The education system needs to be revamped big time...
August 22, 2008 at 7:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
WhoCares (anonymous) says...
I don't know about other schools, but the one my grandkid goes to specifically put "do not put student's name on supplies" on the top and bottom of their list. I thought about hiding a small identifying mark on them to see if they show up at the flea market or some yard sale a couple weeks after school begins!!!
August 22, 2008 at 7:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
abitskeptical (anonymous) says...
moonpie...eh, my point is that anything supported by tax revenue, from WHATEVER SOURCE, ALL OF WHICH IS OBTAINED FROM THE HARD WORK OF A TAXPAYER, is not "FREE".
Granted, it is pretty much free for those whose existence is entirely supported by government aid(food stamps,housing, etc) but I doubt that those people even try to get the supplies & therefore would not be the ones complaining about the cost of supplies.
August 22, 2008 at 7:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Tammie (anonymous) says...
I remember when I was in school, all we needed were #2 pencils, blue or black ink pens, index cards, 3 prong folders, a binder, maybe a comp notebook, a 3 subject notebook, a calculator, a ruler, a protractor and loose leaf paper. That covered ALL of your classes. Come to think of it, that was my list in high school.
And the only time we got on the computer was to play "Oregon Trail"...*sigh* The good ole days. Lol
I kinda feel bad for Granny, I believe she had the best of intentions. What she should have done was offered to split the costs with the parents for some things. JMO
August 22, 2008 at 8:02 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
poor_paul (anonymous) says...
I wonder what goes on in some people's heads. Our property taxes are shockingly low, in spite of the fact that some people complain constantly about them. Try living in Maryland or Connecticut. And Moonpie is right, they did remove that part of the taxes from homeowners.
My kids go to private school, and I pay the same taxes you do, and guess what: I have to bring in the same ridiculous load of crap you do - hand sanitizer, paper towels, pencils, crayons,etc. I would rather my kids have what they need and the teachers have what they need, everybody needs to do their share.
RW, we should all be like you, biiitch about paying school taxes that we don't actually pay, and take advantage of the people that are carrying their share of the load. But I agree with your point that parents should be responsible for their own kids and not everyone else's.
August 22, 2008 at 8:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
zmysticman (anonymous) says...
One my son's fees this year were $150---and that's before the supplies....I was never once told that they were optional....in fact, he had to pay half of it before his schedule was released...sure wish this article came out before I paid! My other child goes to SPES, where MR Burger is principal and ALL of his supplies went to the classroom for general use, was instructed not to put his name on anything....an additional $25 was charged for instructional materials as well....the teacher told us this was mandatory, not optional....if these fees and supplies are optional, this should be clearly marked on lists given to parents---not something I should have to read in the paper as an afterthought!
August 22, 2008 at 8:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
abitskeptical (anonymous) says...
My sister has taught in the public school system for about 20 years & ye, she also spends some of her own money on classroom needs.
Teachers do get funds from various sources to ready the classroom, but often it falls short.
Also note that on top of the supply list, the schools rely on those pesky fund raisers throughout the year to fill in budget gaps.
I understand that the cost of everything is going up, but there does need to be some better accountability & budgeting.
It seems that the entire public school system needs a good financial planner & manager. Is there anyone doing this that is held accountable for how money is spent, or mis-spent, as the case may be?
August 22, 2008 at 8:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
poor_paul (anonymous) says...
abit, I agree with you. I have two siblings who teach in public schools, and they have to pony up for their classes. Then they get a big $250 deduction on their tax returns for their trouble.
Unfortunately, the school systems don't have that much latitude with how much they spend, because personnel costs (salaries and fringe) are about 85% to 90% of the entire operating budget. And they don't have any latitude about teacher raises or even clerical salaries - those are all mandated by pay scales and mandatory step increases and cost of living increases.
Historically, the state and fed provide a certain amount of funds, and the district charges enough taxes to the homeowners to cover the remaining budgeted expenses. Now they have done us a favor and they have taken the burden off the homeowners, I believe charging sales tax instead. When the state tightens the belt and cuts funding, how can the schools make ends meet? They can't cut teacher pay, and they can't raise the sales tax - it has to come out of somewhere.
There's no good answer, but I would rather spend money on my kids' supplies than on the new TV or IPOD or $200 Air Jordans (I know, behind the times...)
August 22, 2008 at 8:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
abitskeptical (anonymous) says...
poorpaul
Property taxes are merely a signal that we truly do not "own" anything.
I believe there should not be property taxes at all.
Minimally, they should not be based on the value of the property.
Those with more valuable property do not get any more for their forced contribution.
Someone with a brand new smaller car that is low on gas mileage is going to be paying a lot more in property taxes for the ability to legally drive that car on the roads than the person driving a 15 yr old heavy gas guzzler SUV. The SUV is likely to cause more wear & tear on the roads, etc. but the owner will be contributing less via the taxes on that property than the owner of the smaller car which is better for the ecology & roads.
Now how does that make sense?
August 22, 2008 at 8:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oldglory (anonymous) says...
abit - smart and thrifty.
DoaMM - right on.
There is no reason there cannot be a basic list with nothing that suggests a high-end brand. Also, no little child wants to be different than the other children by not -having- all supplies. I'm 70 and I still remember that feeling regarding supplies. I thought it would mark me as different.
August 22, 2008 at 8:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
whatelseisthere (anonymous) says...
The list from my kids school was silly too. Not only that, after their first day, they came home with more lists from specific teachers. Since this is a parochial school, they have the right to with-hold grades and charge fees. Plus, you have a kid who wants to "fit in" and have the stuff everyone has or doesn't want to cross the teacher. A true lose-lose situation if there ever was one. I agree with an earlier poster----lets cut some of those middle managers and admim pple.
August 22, 2008 at 8:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
whatelseisthere (anonymous) says...
You missed the point Early.....it's not the cost, it's the actual list of things that we, as parents, don't think they really need but are required to supply:)
August 22, 2008 at 8:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
DoaMM (anonymous) says...
oldglory...70?!
Congrats for making it so long on this planet but I have to ask...did they have a "list" when you were in school? No disrespect, but I just figured that if you did, it wouldn't have been a very long list back then.
August 22, 2008 at 8:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
suec (anonymous) says...
If the list in this article is typical, I could get all of that for $25 or less.
"A brand new pencil in the morning could be a stub by the afternoon"
Huh? Not unless it is a class on pencil sharpening.
I think Granny is either exagerrating or she shopped at Saks. Maybe the $120 included uniforms? I wish the P&C would have told us what made up her $120 receipt.
August 22, 2008 at 8:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
BerkeleyCo_Mom_of_3 (anonymous) says...
Sad thing is, it is f'ing ridiculous that parents have to dole out so much dough to send their kids back to school. However, it is just as f'ing ridiculous that teachers are doing it as well. It's one of those damned if you do and damned if you don't situations.
Since I am not a religious person, I have made the Berkeley County School District, at least one of its schools, the place where I tithe. My husband and I have sponsored other children for fieldtrips, have purchased supplies for entire class projects...I am not talking one class...I am talking a teacher's entire group of kids. We decided it was money well spent because our children as well as many others would have the opportunity if we helped, but probably wouldn't if we sat back and did nothing. PTO's may be a good thing, but tell me? Why the eff would you put money in to landscaping around a damn school when you could generate enough supplies for the whole school year with those funds??? It's all about priorities and some districts and some PTO's haven't the common sense to figure that out.
August 22, 2008 at 8:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gamecockwoman (anonymous) says...
waa, waa, waa--everybody whines. The public education is FREE, yes, we all pay taxes, even those of us who spends thousnds more to send our kids to private schools to get away from the trouble and get a decent education. Granny needs to learn how to Shop! Dollar stores are a great source of these items for little money. Also agree that public educators/admin staff is way overpaid! Just check out this paper's website on front where they list employees of school system making over 50K each year. It's mindblowing. You people should be at those school board meetings raising cain every meeting - they're too busy fighting among themselves to worry about your kids. BTW, school sptndt. Makes a quarter million each year, plus the fancy car and expenses. How did that happen? That's a lot of kleenex and scissors!
August 22, 2008 at 8:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
katrenavantassle (anonymous) says...
I am tired of hearing people complain about there taxes are so high, because they live in a $500,000 home. Awwww poor you. For some people they don't even have a $50,000 home. They don't even know where their next meal is coming from. Quit being so selfish and for once in your life quite complaining when you have nothing to complain about. If you live that extravigant lifestyle then pay the taxes for it. Try donating some of that $$ to the homeless shelters or open another one for BATTERED WOMEN that is so badly needed...then you will have a tax write off.
For alot of children in SC there isn't any school supplies purchased. I know that and I have seen it first hand. NOT EVERONE IS FORTUNATE. These teachers ask for a little more from each child to help the less fortunate child in their class. It's not too much to ask and the favor is returned should your child run out of a supply and need something. The teachers pay out of their own pocket to help with the other misc. supplies that they think will help your child succeed. But it is the teacher who designates what supplies she wants to receive not the school. Hand Sanitizer is really needed today with MRSA out. I know of a neighbor who had a child that first had a staph infection and then came down with MRSA. A co-worker's mother had MRSA and almost died. She was in the hospital for three weeks and almost lost her arm in the process. Thank God she survived it.
Check out the website for the CDC in Atlanta on MRSP and the newest germ out that they say it worse than MRSP.
It says that "CLOROX and Water mixed"(10parts water to 1 pt.clorox) sprayed and wiped on everything is the only thing that actually kills the MRSA germs. NOTHING ELSE WORKED. THE HOSPITALS BACTERIAL SOAP that you find in all the restrooms and on all the walls in the hospitals... DID NOT WORK. You know that elementary school age kids touch everything they can, then touch their food, faces, and spread the common cold virus all over the schools. We do not live in the BRADY BUNCH times anymore, mom has to work too in order for bills to get paid. She don't have time to stay out of work while little Timmy has a cold. Please do us all a favor and purchase the EXTRA LARGE GERMX and send it to school!
August 22, 2008 at 9:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
DoaMM (anonymous) says...
gamecockwoman wrote:
"The public education is FREE, yes, we all pay taxes, even those of us who spends thousnds more to send our kids to private schools..."
Even those folks who DON'T have kids, like me and my wife. Got no problem with helping out Y'alls kids. Just don't ask us to contribute any more than we do unless we have kids ourselves...
August 22, 2008 at 9:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
aimpulsive (anonymous) says...
Wow! So much to say!
First, my wife saves supplies from one year to the next, only buying what our three children really need. They have had the same backpacks for three years -- they still work and look great.
Secondly, part of the problem is that school funding keeps dropping in our state. Maybe not the overall budget, but the amount spent on classroom supplies due to underfunded No Child Left Behind mandates, rising fuel prices, and rising salaries. Teachers often have to depend on parents to supply them with much of the materials that they need to run their class. I know many teachers and the vast majority spend a huge amount of their own hard earned cash on class materials.
Parents are complaining in lines at WalMart about the cost of sending kids to public school? Good grief! If you can spend $120, or even $250, and supply a child with clothes and all class materials for a full school year, that is incredibly cheap!
These are often the SAME people who complain that are taxes are too high. They want everything and they want to pay nothing. And 8 times out of 10 when I find people who have this attitude, they aren't even paying taxes! Remember that 50% of Americans pay no income tax at all, and these same people probably pay little to no property tax either.
Regarding school taxes, we do still pay property taxes for the school system in Charleston County. The taxes collected cover the capital bonding program, but by law they are allowed to use a certain percentage to cover operating (non capital) expenditures. And, that tax is being recommended to be raised by 50% over the next two years in order to cover building programs and new operational shortfalls. In five years we'll be back to paying property taxes where they were two years ago AND paying higher sales tax.
Anyone surprised?
August 22, 2008 at 9:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kroonerrater (anonymous) says...
Have you ever used an ENTIRE pencil in one day??? Golly gee.
August 22, 2008 at 9:43 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
BerkeleyCo_Mom_of_3 (anonymous) says...
People need to realize that public education is not free. Someone is paying for it...taxpayers. I have no problem paying for school supplies. It would make more sense to just contribute the cash and have the school purchase these items in bulk. In Maryland, our childrens' school did this through the PTO and they were able to make the money go a long way as opposed to families bringing in supplies themselves. They were able to buy in bulk and purchase more than the average family could with the same amount of money. Some families can't afford that, I understand that. I will say this, I may be able to afford buying school supplies, but I am just saying there are smarter ways to do it. And for the record, I have a nice house which I pay my f'ing taxes on! I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth, I had to work hard to get where I am. I served my country and took advantage of all programs the military provided to me. I WORKED MY ASS OFF & BUDGETED MY MONEY! Yes there are families out there who are worthy of much who can't afford to make it, but there are plenty of them out there who are standing in line to buy lottery tickets, cigarettes, beer and other unneccessary items. Yeah they are things people want...but people need to plan and budget!! As for those who need assistance, take advantage of any little bit you can get, hell our taxes are paying for that too...but if you can work, then get your ass out there and look for a f'ing job. Yes jobs are hard to come by right now, but living life with a bad attitude and the 'poor pitiful me' syndrome won't help anyone achieve success.
August 22, 2008 at 9:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gamecockwoman (anonymous) says...
you people are lookling at it wrong: Charleston County schools' superintendent Nancy McGinley will be able to earn up to $20,000 in performance bonuses on top of her $184,000 annual salary. McGinley will have a medical exam annually, 15 vacation days, an $800 monthly car allowance and a home fax machine, laptop, Blackberry and Internet connection.
I am all for paying qualified people good money to perform. Are the Charleston County Schools performing this well?
August 22, 2008 at 9:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ysillyme (anonymous) says...
Cheap ol' granny~
I'll bet you spend that much on frozen bob-bons. Ya made a promise and then you broke it. Don't wanna start a fight, but retired teachers and librarians are not living hand to mouth. (Unless said hand has an ample supply of previously mentioned bob-bons).
August 22, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ptmama73 (anonymous) says...
Notebook paper (1.00), folders (.17 ea), composition notebooks (1.00 ea), spiral notebooks (1.00 ea), pencils (.50 pk.), pens (1.50), (elementary) crayons (.25), scissors (1.00), (middle/high school) 3 ring binders (10.00). So, over-estimating the price on basics, that is approximately $70.00. This can be budgeted out over a one year time frame which would equal $5.83 cents per month or $.19 per day.
Even adding in uniform expenses for CCSD, wal-mart sells the khaki pants for $15.00 a pair (only 3 needed because you do laundry, right?) Shirts, $10.00 (same thing, only need 3). So, we are now up to $145.00 dollars which equates to $12.08 per month or $.40 per day.
In a nutshell, if you can't afford $.40 per day toward your child(ren)'s education, turn off the internet, cell phone, cable, quit going to Starbucks, learn to budget your money, and get your priorities straight.
August 22, 2008 at 10:37 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ashleyatwork (anonymous) says...
Dorchester District II school fees (20.00 per child) are NOT optional. I asked one year when I was having a hard time. Im not saying that its right or wrong just keep the facts accurate.
August 22, 2008 at 10:59 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
carolinagal (anonymous) says...
Not including the new clothes for each kid, I spent $38 in book fees for my 3rd grader on top of $130 in school supplies, $45 on my 7th grader in book fees and $160 on supplies. Then the first day, each teacher my 7th grader had sent home another freaking list!..School lunches are $1.75 per kid and its crap! Its a damn shame, when you have to start school supply shopping in 08 for 09 and saving just to be able to afford the expense of starting school....My kids are not in a private school because I cant afford it. Who ever said public education is free?
Why did I have to buy Expo markers? Those are for the teachers!
August 22, 2008 at 11:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
coolfreaknbeans (anonymous) says...
This stuff isnt optional.I was asked at meet the teacher night,"Do you have the 3 ring binder?".I agree with other posters on this one.It's not spending the money on my child thats the issue.Its supplies for other kids(which is mandatory)and useless supplies.I was told one year not to have my childs name on the supplies.I bought a fresh new sharpie and marked EVERYTHING!For one of my daughters classes they won't give her a BOOK!(in this situation I really feel bad for the poor children)We were told that theres a class set only-not to be taken home.We have to have high speed internet to access the book online.If you dont have high speed you can check out a disk to load onto your computer.WTF?What about people who dont have a home computer??I thought school fees helped pay for books?This is unfair and puts some kids at a huge disadvantage.
August 22, 2008 at 11:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CaptPete (anonymous) says...
Why did they have to buy all the supplies for the entire year at once? Buy what you need now. Get more when you run low.
August 22, 2008 at 11:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jeff61 (anonymous) says...
Granny was "scared to look at that list,, she said It's like passing an accident on the highway - I don't WANT to look, but sometimes I look, and then I feel nauseous and hate myself for exposing myself to that.
August 22, 2008 at 11:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
DoaMM (anonymous) says...
jeff61 wrote:
"It's like passing an accident on the highway - I don't WANT to look, but sometimes I look, and then I feel nauseous and hate myself for exposing myself to that."
jeff, is this your trademark phrase or something? You post it, like, on every board. Just making sure you don't have alzheimer's or something.
August 22, 2008 at 12:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jeff61 (anonymous) says...
Yea ,, I guess I adopted it. I did not make it up, someone called mamatp, who is now gone wrote it when we had the archdude issue. There was more to it but I found that part hilarious. It can be applied to almost any topic.
August 22, 2008 at 12:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
BerkeleyCo_Mom_of_3 (anonymous) says...
coolfreaknbeans...this is costly but another thing we do. We have twins so it is worth it for us. We buy our own copies of the school books to keep at home each year. It can be expensive, but well worth it. It's 4 books, english..social studies, science & math. It has been a huge help to us when trying to help them with assignments. Those books weigh a damn ton. I shop around online for the books and have found a couple reasonably. It's almost like buying college books, just a little more difficult to find used. It's not for everyone obviously because it is not cheap...about $45-$70 per book...but my view is that my children's education is important to me. I want them focused and prepared, not strung out over carrying a 30 lb bookpack.
I don't have a problem with public school, most of the teachers are fantastic. the ones that are horrible usually don't last long if there is enough complaining. The problems lie in the parents. It all falls back on the parents. When teachers have to become the primary disciplinarians, there's an issue. It doesn't boil down to money in those cases, it boils down to lack of parenting skill or want. These kids are treated like throw away kids. Sad, but again not my fault. It's not the people that I can't afford that I take issue with. It's the lazy ass, "I am too busy getting my manicure or going to my bowling(bunco, softball, whatever)league or activity" attitude that bothers me.
August 22, 2008 at 12:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
green123 (anonymous) says...
I remember in high school they stopped asking for supplies and started asking for money. We had to pay a class fee, which was between 10 and 20 bucks per class. The money was supposed to be use for class supplies, but i never saw anything bought with them, except in english (usually a book from b&n that sucked). on the other hand the article said that they went to moultrie, which is in mt p, so im sure that 120 bucks was not that much of a financial burden. the shiny BMW or Mercedes is more of a burden.
August 22, 2008 at 12:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyfigueroa (anonymous) says...
ptmama: I would have disagree with you on some things. As a parent who once (and to some extent still do) lived on a budget so tight that it cracked, I only did laundry once a week so just buying 3 uniforms would not have worked for my children unless I was able or willing to laundry more often. Also, children have accidents, there are tears, rips and stains to be considered not to mention expected. Let's not get into the underwear, socks and shoes. Also as the children age so does it seem the school fees. My daughters' high school charged $600 for marching band, it's now $400. My point is even if you try to be frugal, school supplies costs have grown exponentially over the years.
I do agree with you that planning ahead is certainly warranted. Putting aside extra money, on top of what should be saved for a rainy day, every month will help with the expenses due in August.
I think what everyone is complaining about is having to subsidize the education of students whose parents won't provide necessary supplies. There will always be students whose parents have fallen on hard times: i.e. breadwinner becomes ill, disabled, laid off or dies. However for the most part we end up sending in supplies for kids whose parents who don't care enough to prepare their children or who are subsisting on government welfare of some sort.
I would much rater prefer that the Govt. Schools be open and honest about that and ASK for donations rather than this politically correct surreptitious demanding of excess supplies.
August 22, 2008 at 1 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
DoaMM (anonymous) says...
K...then I won't call the men in white coats for you...
August 22, 2008 at 1:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sc4peace (anonymous) says...
At least we live in a country where our children have the opportunity to receive an education-some children around the world are not so lucky
August 22, 2008 at 1:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyfigueroa (anonymous) says...
Bunco! LOLOLOL The sport of soccer moms.
I remember being poor living in a trailer trying to scrape up money for supplies, however I still tried to be at school for conferences or volunteering even if it meant not having that 1-2 hours pay.
I knew other parents in the same straits who would NEVER go to their child's school and didn't even know the teachers' names. I also knew stay at hom moms with husbands with good paying jobs who were too busy with hair appointments, bridge club & BUNCO to spend time at their kids' schools.
My point is that finances is not the ONLY factor in parents lack of participation with their children's education. Sometimes parents are just lazy.
And that pisses me off more than anything.
August 22, 2008 at 1:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gamecockwoman (anonymous) says...
of course public education is FREE, people! Look at the local private school websites and see what we're paying in tuition, in addition to taxes to support public schools! What's wrong with having to provide your kids with supplies, for goodness sake? What do you expect next, the government to provide their clothes? You chose to have the children, take care of them! Many of them are even getting free lunch while parents drive their "rides", sport tatts and gold jewelry and talk of their cell phones.....
August 22, 2008 at 2:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
DoaMM (anonymous) says...
I'm missing something...What does "BUNCO" mean?
August 22, 2008 at 2:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
coolfreaknbeans (anonymous) says...
No gamecockwoman.I don't want the gov't or anyone else to pay for my kids stuff.You said it yourself"...You chose to have the children, take care of them!"EXACTLY!So why in the hell should I be required(not asked but TOLD)to bring in supplies for other peoples fn kids?Why?I don't think anyones on here griping about buying necessary supplies for their kids.It's picking up other parents slack that we are opposed to.And the stupidity of the demand list each year.
August 22, 2008 at 3:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
aggedflame (anonymous) says...
Chas county school asked for 8 boxes of tissue, at 25 kids that makes 200 boxes. Will they use all those boxes? where will they store 200 boxes in that class room? Understandable about the clorox wipes and hand sanitizer, but the tissues are excessive.
August 22, 2008 at 5:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
RedSnappa (anonymous) says...
You have to send extra supplies so that little Jose and Pablo can have crayons to.
August 22, 2008 at 5:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ifyousayso (anonymous) says...
I spent a total of 100 dollars on all 3 of my kids supplies including bookbags! Luckily I live in Berkeley county so I dont have uniforms or those fees. What gets me is that I have to be stuff that I think the school should be supplying and I send in school supplies for my child and they all get thrown in one bucket for all to use. Now I dont mind helping people that have hit hard times considering I have been there before. Hasnt most everyone? But when my son needs to do homework and isnt allowed to bring home a pencil when I just bought 48! Give me a break.
August 22, 2008 at 5:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jeff61 (anonymous) says...
I did not buy any of the extra sh!t this year. I refuse and I dare the school to do any thing. I also sent my kids to school with only what they need for them self. I played that community chest sh!t for to many years and not playing it anymore... what was the old saying... gas, ass or grass because no one rides for free. Well mine is....... well I have to give that some thought.... but when I come up with it It will be worth remembering.....just like "It's like passing an accident on the highway - I don't WANT to look, but sometimes I look, and then I feel nauseous and hate myself for exposing myself to that."
August 22, 2008 at 6:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
shoelaces (anonymous) says...
Granny got off easy....I dished out over $200 for my child and she is only in Kindergarten!!
School fees were $45 and they charge for snacks for the class - $45 for the year.
When I asked my principal about those who are unable to pay I was told that their fees are waived or loweredif they qualify for free or reduced lunch. I wonder if Charleston County has to foot the bill for more freebie people than Dorchester or Berkeley? That could explain the higher fee. When I was in high school in CCSD I think the fees were $45 then...that was over 20 years ago.
A free public school education is NOT free....
August 22, 2008 at 6:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jeff61 (anonymous) says...
Go get em shoe.. I know at first I gave you a rough time about the amount of home work my son got, not that you gave it to him ...but since then I have admired your posts and your pretty cool
August 22, 2008 at 6:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jeff61 (anonymous) says...
Posted by mooncalf on August 22, 2008 at 6:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
on abitskeptical....
abitskeptical post sound reasonable to me in the content it was made,,,if were talking about the most recent post.... maybe I am missing something??? I am not sure what your beef is ????
August 22, 2008 at 6:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SCSIGirl2 (anonymous) says...
Somebody call the waaahhhmbulance on these folks!! Begruding kids their school supplies, dragging race in to the issue (Redsnappa: "You have to send extra supplies so that little Jose and Pablo can have crayons to." Even a blind person can read between those lines) and economic situations (eyfigueroa: "However for the most part we end up sending in supplies for kids whose parents who don't care enough to prepare their children or who are subsisting on government welfare of some sort.") then backtracking on the economic issue (efigueroa: "My point is that finances is not the ONLY factor in parents lack of participation with their children's education. Sometimes parents are just lazy.").
Buy the kids the darn supplies, make SC a better educated state than the next, and be proud of all the kids, they have it tough enough without adults whining about school supplies. I bought my three grandkids their school clothes and supplies, I thanked the Lord I lived in a country that was home of the free and the brave. I also thanked him that I was fortunate enough to have a good job to be able to help, and I'd do it all over again (they look so darn cute in their new clothes!!)
PS My sister is a school teacher and if she needs additional supplies, I'll be there to make a Dollar Tree run!
August 22, 2008 at 7:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
coolfreaknbeans (anonymous) says...
I bet RedSnappa's right.My daughters school has someone to translate at meetings.I'm sure thats on our dime too.
jeff61-the bumper sticker used to read....Ass,gas or grass-nobody rides for free. LOL
August 22, 2008 at 7:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wonderdog (anonymous) says...
"It's like you're sending your kid to private school with the cost of uniforms, supplies and packs of notebook paper," Owens said.
You're kidding........right?
Will a classroom of kids go through 200 boxes of Kleenex? Having taught kindergarten, I can answer that is definitely a possibility.
August 22, 2008 at 8:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
walleyedwoman1215 (anonymous) says...
SCSIgirl wrote: Somebody call the waaahhhmbulance on these folks!!
I love you! Am literally rolling around in my chair laughing fit to bust!! Thank yeewww....
BTW, I figured out a long time ago that I couldn't afford children. Turns out I was right!
August 22, 2008 at 10:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
abitskeptical (anonymous) says...
Some of ya'll are missing the point.
Who said they did not want to provide supplies for their children?
I know that I fully expect to provide my children w/ supplies they need for school. I certainly do not expect anyone else to do it..least of all the government.
However, I do have a problem w/ being asked to get more of an item than my child will use, so that it can go into a communal supply closet, without being told that is what is going to happen!
One year, I bought a better quality notebook. Guess what? My child did not get the one I bought for him. He ended up with a cheaper one. That is how I found out what was happening. If the schools are trying to make sure that all the kids end up w/ what they need, then they need to be upfront & ask people who are able, to donate extras. Most people are charitable when asked or informed of a need.
As for the audacious presumptions of katrenavantassle:
1)Folks complaining about taxes are selfish & do not already donate 10's of thousands of dollars to all sorts of various charities.
2)Someone who lives in $500,000 house has nothing to complain about.
3)Folks who live in a $500,000 home, live an extravagant life style.
4)Folks who live in a $500,00 home are doing so ONLY because they are "FORTUNATE" (as opposed to being a hard & disciplined worker, living frugally, etc).
Good Lord!
And what in the "heck" does this mean?: "If you live that extravigant lifestyle then pay the taxes for it."
I can pretty much guess what that means, but I do not want to presume.
As for your discussion on MRSA...clearly you have no idea what you are talking about. If the hand sanitizer at the hospital does not work on it, how the heck do you think an OTC sanitizer from Wal-Mart is going to protect against that? Do you know what the "R" in MRSA stands for? RESISTANT!
Those blasted anti-bacterial hand sanitizers are one of the reasons(along with over use of systemic antibiotics) we have all of the resistant bacteria that we do now. Soap & water is best.
Aren't you the same person who tells people to lie to the Summerville ER & tell them you have an emergency, when you really don't, so that they will see you?
August 23, 2008 at 12:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
geekguy2008 (anonymous) says...
Kids can spend some time during their summer breaks baby sitting and cutting grass and saving their money to buy school supplies. They need to learn that life is NOT all fun and games. They'll need to learn to pay bills sooner or later and the sooner, the BETTER.
August 23, 2008 at 12:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kteacher (anonymous) says...
I am a kindergarten teacher in DD2. When we created our supply list we limited the cost of supply items to $10 !!!
I am worried about those that posted that think the amount of supplies (ex - 3 boxes of crayons) could never be used by one student! Believe me - when kids are learning their colors - they need at least three red crayons in one school year! :)
Anyway - I was suprised by some of the comments and cost of supply lists b/c I thought that teachers could not ask for kleenex and hand sanitizer anymore. I put that on a "wish list" and pay out of pocket if I don't receive it.
Teachers receive $275 from the state each year and my school gives me $275 for office supplies each year. This goes towards printer ink and copy paper mainly. I bought my class their supply boxes, folders, paper (construction and writing), stickers for reinforcement, stamps, seat labels, cubby labels, post cards to welcome them, paper towels to clean with (YES - I clean my own counters / bathroom many times), cleaning supplies, SOAP, the list goes on.
My kindergarten team of teachers also worked very hard last year to count our surplus supplies (scissors that can be re-used, pencils) before we made our 2008 lists. This year the parents did not have to buy scissors or pencils because we had enough. I just want y'all to know that some of us work very hard to keep the cost down.Most of us are moms ourselves and understand the burden of buying the stuff. I can't even imagine having a middle or high school student. That being said I forked out almost $2000 last year on my classroom as a first year teacher. Ugh!
August 23, 2008 at 7:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
abitskeptical (anonymous) says...
kteacher-thank you for your dedication as well as for your enlightening post.
I understand that most teachers today work in "less than ideal" circumstances & try to make the best of a bad & frustrating situation much of the time.
August 23, 2008 at 8:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ChasCarolinaGirl (anonymous) says...
I believe that they request you to buy more than needed to make up for other students who are not able or who do not bring in their supplies. So you are not buying them for your child only, you are buying for others in the class ... which to me is unfair, esp if you want your child to have everything that he or she needs, but can barely afford it.
I agree that if the schools are asking for too much, maybe some of the programs need to be cut back.
August 23, 2008 at 8:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
coolfreaknbeans (anonymous) says...
kteacher-thats interesting because my daughter attends a DD2 school and the list had tissues/baby wipes on it.I have said it before and will say it again-I don't mind helping or donating.Just don't BS me into to doing it.I loved it when in the past I bought books for the teachers wish list from the bookfair.One year I bought every book on her list.I just don't want to be expected to support other peoples kids.
August 23, 2008 at 9:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gococks1985 (anonymous) says...
They may not be forced to pay these fee's, but they sure as hec don't bother to let you know that until something of this nature arises...what a crock.
August 23, 2008 at 9:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
VictoriaCat (anonymous) says...
"Alicia Owens, a James Island constituent board member, said if Charleston County schools can't afford the supplies that it requests, it should cut back on other programs."
Cut back on what other programs? Most of the kids don't get physical education or art....
I also recycle all of the supplies that are not used, I don't buy new things every year- the same colored pencils, crayons etc go back every year (they actually make it home from school).
As far as supplies go- my kid is in middle school and after buying all the pencils and pens listed- he still never has something to write with. Who knows where all of this stuff goes.
August 23, 2008 at 1:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
VictoriaCat (anonymous) says...
Also- I can't believe people are making a big deal out of supplies when the district can't even figure out how to get the bus schedule straight...at least in my child's case the kids were late to school when riding the bus....so far same thing goes this year!
August 23, 2008 at 1:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
coolfreaknbeans (anonymous) says...
VictoriaCat- The way the buses have been lately youre lucky the bus was just late and not on fire.The whole system is screwed up in every way.
August 23, 2008 at 6:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
WestAshleyMomma (anonymous) says...
I still donate school supplies every year and my son is 25 years old. He went to 12 years of private school (on my salary alone, since his dad died at 8 and had no life insurance) and I had to pay tuition, uniforms and supplies. But I remember how hard it was the first month of school. I donate supplies to public schools and to the elementry and high school, cause I can, and I feel good doing it. Its just a little I can do to give back!
August 23, 2008 at 6:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kteacher (anonymous) says...
coolfreaknbeans - Yes - I noticed that even grade levels from my school weren't following that not asking for kleenex and hand sanitizer. I do think those things should be provided... which can technically be purchased with the office supply money. It's just crazy how fast money goes when you have a classroom to run for 180 days.
August 23, 2008 at 8:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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