California Parents Face Rising Costs for Back-to-School Supplies and Groceries

California families are facing a hefty price tag as they gear up for the back-to-school season, with parents spending close to $175 on basic school supplies this year. This increase adds pressure to many already tight household budgets.

According to research from Groundwork Collaborative and The Century Foundation reported by Times of San Diego, the cost of a standard set of 21 essential classroom items has jumped to $173.45, marking a 7.7% rise compared to last year’s prices.

Some school supplies have experienced even higher price hikes. Notebooks have soared by around 23%, while the cost of loose-leaf paper has risen 20%, and index cards are up by 22.2%.

Lunch boxes have seen nearly a 27% increase. Meanwhile, parents find themselves paying roughly 8% more for essentials like dry-erase markers and glue sticks.

Additionally, the prices of other staples, including No. 2 pencils, crayons, colored pencils, and binders, have climbed between 5% and 7%, contributing to the overall cost burden on families.

The increases can become especially painful for households buying supplies for multiple children while also contending with high rents, rising utility bills and increasing costs for everyday necessities. They are being driven by a combination of higher manufacturing costs, inflation and spiking prices for imported goods, where many of these items are made.

“Everything goes up but the paycheck,” Mark Davis, a San Diego father of five, told NBC 7.

“I have to pay for gas, rent, bills, and food [for all of us]. It’s a struggle day-to-day, but you gotta get up and make it,” he said.

Davis was among families who sought assistance at a back-to-school event in Encanto Saturday ahead of the San Diego Unified School District’s return to classes Monday.

The event was organized by California state Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson, who told the outlet: “I know the cuts that are coming as a result of some of the legislation, and it’s important for people to know where they can go if certain things are no longer accessible for them,”

Food costs are another concern for struggling households in San Diego County, where officials estimate more than 93,000 people will lose their CalFresh benefits this year.

The county has funded a Safety Net Bridge program that includes food assistance, with families receiving groceries at a distribution in Chula Vista Saturday.

For father-of-four Jose Miranda, whose family relies on multiple sources of assistance, making ends meet requires both him and his wife to work.

“Just making minimum wage both [me and my wife] gotta work. We find different resources by calling 2-1-1, and sometimes we gotta find activities like this,” Miranda told the outlet.

The county plans additional food distributions and funding to help residents access health care services through the fall.

Many Southern California and major urban districts, including LAUSD and ABC Unified, are scheduled to begin classes Monday, August 12.

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