As children try on the newest clothes styles and hand parents long lists of school supplies, the cost of sending children back to class for the coming year can add up quickly.
Peninsula parents say they’ll spend up to $500 per child getting their youngsters ready for school this fall.
Many parents said they have been watching for sales flyers for discounted or sale supplies and clothing, but even bargain hunters said outfitting children for school can crunch their checking and credit accounts.
Parents said on average they spend about $27 per child on school supplies alone. And if a backpack or calculator is needed, the cost rises another $60 to $200.
School begins for most school districts on the North Olympic Peninsula during the first week of September.
Heidi Anderson, the mother of a Forks Elementary School second-grader, said she expects to spend between $10 and $15 on school supplies such as crayons, glue sticks, pencils, child-safe scissors and paper for her son.
Anderson said she will probably spend another $150 on clothes, a backpack, shoes and a coat.
“As kids get older, the costs go up,” she said. “I am going to enjoy him being young now.”
Parents said middle school and high school students often want brand-name goods, which drive the costs up.
Add in the costs of student body association cards, yearbooks and photographs, and Peninsula parents said they can easily spend as much as $500.
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The rest of the story appears in the Monday Peninsula Daily News. Click on SUBSCRIBE to get the PDN delivered to your home or office.