Martin County school district picking up the tab for students' school supplies this year
Parents can mark off a major item on their back-to-school checklist — buying basic school supplies.
Paper, binders, pencils, pens, crayons — all will be provided by the school district.
"It's the first time we've done something like this," district spokesman Derek Lowe said. "Supplies are very expensive."
The district has budgeted $305,000 to buy school supplies for all students, regardless of income. Money will be distributed to each school, which then will purchase the supplies and get them to students, Lowe said. It just might not all be distributed until the first day of the school, he cautioned.
Each elementary school is allocated $20,000; middle schools get $10,000 each; and high schools receive $5,000.
The district had some extra money in the general fund balance, and officials thought it would be a "nice gesture" to use the money to help families pay for basic school supplies this year, Lowe said.
The plan is for schools to have enough money to provide supplies throughout the school year, Lowe said.
"I love it," said Liz Southers, parent of two Jensen Beach Elementary boys. "Back-to-school shopping is extremely expensive. Anything that will take the pressure off of parents is awesome."
The idea is to remove some of the back-to-school financial burden from parents as well as teachers, who often buy classroom supplies with their own money, Lowe said.
Parents might still get school-supply lists mailed to them, Lowe said, but with a disclaimer that they are no obligation to buy supplies.
Still, parents likely will still need to do some shopping this year as the district's offer only covers basic school supplies. Backpacks, lunch boxes and school clothes are exempted from the district's offer. Students also must purchase their own specialty calculators and pay lab fees required in some high school classes.
Southers said she usually helps provide supplies for her children's teachers in their classrooms and monitors their teachers' Amazon wish lists, and she plans to continue helping teachers.
"The work teachers do is so important and essential," Southers said.
Colleen Wixon covers education and the Indian River, Martin and St. Lucie county school districts for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers.