California families are facing another hit to their budgets this back-to-school season, with a basic set of classroom supplies now costing close to $175.
A basket of 21 common school essentials averages $173.45 this year, up 7.7% from 2023, according to an analysis by Groundwork Collaborative and The Century Foundation cited by Times of San Diego.
Several staples have jumped far more sharply. Notebooks are roughly 23% more expensive than a year ago, notebook paper has increased 20%, and index cards are up 22.2%.
The price of lunch boxes has climbed nearly 27%, while dry-erase markers and glue sticks are each about 8% higher.
Other classroom basics are also adding to the total, with No. 2 pencils, crayons, colored pencils and binders costing 5% to 7% more than last year.
For parents shopping for more than one child, the increases can add up quickly, especially as many households are already dealing with steep rents, higher utility bills and elevated prices for everyday goods. Analysts point to a mix of higher manufacturing costs, inflation and rising prices for imported products, since many school supplies are made overseas.
“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.
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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.
