California parents are facing a sharper back-to-school supplies bill this year, with a basic basket of classroom essentials now costing nearly $175 as household budgets stay under pressure. The added expense is landing just as many families are also dealing with higher rents, utility bills and grocery costs.
The average basket of 21 essential school supplies now costs $173.45, up 7.7% from last year, according to an analysis by Groundwork Collaborative and The Century Foundation cited by Times of San Diego. Some items have climbed even faster. Notebooks are about 23% more expensive than a year ago, notebook paper is up 20% and index cards have risen 22.2%. Lunch boxes have jumped nearly 27%, while dry-erase markers and glue sticks are about 8% higher. No. 2 pencils, crayons, colored pencils and binders are running 5% to 7% more than before.
The price increases are hitting especially hard for families with several children, since the cost of uniforms, backpacks and classroom basics adds up fast even before school starts. Parents in California are already trying to stretch paychecks across rent, food, transportation and utility bills, leaving less room for one-time seasonal expenses. The analysis points to higher manufacturing costs, inflation and rising prices on imported goods as major drivers, which has made the annual shopping trip more painful for working families.
Mark Davis, a San Diego father of five, said the pressure reaches into every part of daily life. “Everything goes up but the paycheck,” he told NBC 7. Davis said he is also juggling gas, rent, bills and food for his family. He and others were among the parents seeking help at a back-to-school event in Encanto on Saturday, ahead of the San Diego Unified School District’s return to classes on Monday.
