School starts the day after Labor Day, and parents are on the annual spending spree to stock their children with necessary supplies.
By Michelle Logsdon/Special to The Malibu Times
Americans are spending less on back-to-school supplies this year, but Malibu parents haven’t noticed a significant drop in their own spending habits.
That’s because parents in Malibu are supporting their schools by not only footing the bill for their own child’s supplies, but also giving thousands of dollars in donations to help schools stay above water financially.
In elementary school, one would believe the cost of sending a child back to school would be insignificant, and in theory it is, but with California schools already struggling to cover operating expenses, every cent parents can contribute to their child’s education is appreciated according to Patricia Cairns, Juan Cabrillo Elementary School principal.
“Our budgets are limited-much more even this year,” Cairns said. “Oftentimes classroom teachers end up purchasing supplies out of their own personal money.”
The elementary school supply list for each grade runs around $30 to $50 per child. If parents cannot purchase those items, the school will provide them, but Cairns pointed out that children enjoy shopping for their own supplies and they feel organized and empowered when they come to school the first day with their own backpack full of necessities.
Yet supplies are not the only area where parents are asked to contribute to their child’s education. Most Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District schools ask parents for a direct donation every year. At Webster Elementary School the PTA asks for $400 per child. That amount is encouraged as a matching fund to whatever amount the PTA raises over the summer from major donors. Webster Principal Phil Cott said summer pledges this year were approximately $75,000.
One parent, who wished to remain anonymous, found the matching programs offensive.
“It’s a lot of pressure for parents to match huge donations. Plus there have been private fundraisers where only rich parents were invited.”
Webster is not the school that held the private fundraiser but Cott said the PTA did cross the line in the past by publishing names and amounts of contributions.
“In a perfect world schools would be able to provide for each student adequately. Our fundraising is well intentioned. We’re not trying to hurt anyone’s feelings,” Cott said.
At the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) middle schools and high schools, parents are asked to pay $5 for an ID card and $5 for a “binder reminder.” Some classes also require a laboratory fee but students are not forced to foot any of those bills. The largest back-to-school costs for middle school and high school students are associated with extracurricular activities such as sports and music.
Parents will be paying around $20,000 at Pepperdine University this fall for tuition, housing and meals. On top of that, the total price tag for a semester’s worth of books can range from $500 to $1,000.
At the college level, parents cannot control the rising costs of tuition and fees but they can save money on clothing, technology and general supplies. Big-ticket items such as computers and software can empty the pocketbook quickly. These are the areas where smart buying choices can save hundreds of dollars.
Students attending Santa Monica City College will pay approximately $275 in tuition and fees this semester but they must find housing and pay for meals separately. Books and other supplies will cost approximately $750 for a full-time student.
According to an annual survey conducted by Myvesta, a financial health center, back-to-school shoppers are spending less on supplies for the second consecutive year.
The average this year is estimated at $4,144; a 17.5 percent drop from $5,033 in 2001 and 23.5 percent from $5,423 in 2000. Those figures may sound high, but that’s because they include college students who have to pay for dorm room supplies, transportation and tuition.
“With a crawling economy and job uncertainty on the minds of many Americans, it’s not surprising that most people are spending less this year on back-to-school expenses,” said Myvesta President Steve Rhode.