What supplies kids of all ages need in order to make it through the school day has increased. Kids need more notebooks and pencils, and more specialized equipment such as advanced calculators, at a younger and younger age, it seems. Part of that is to help students keep up with enhanced expectations for performance and learning at schools. And part of it certainly is that schools are under-funded, and classrooms may have once been able to provide non-essential materials but can no longer do so. Add on to that fees that schools now expect students to pay, and families can quickly become overwhelmed.
    Families are filling the gaps, and so too are teachers. Over 9 out of 10 teachers fund supplies from their own pocketbooks, and some teachers spend over $1,000 a year stocking classrooms. So what are some tips you can use to trim costs? The 2 graphics and link below explains some ideas.