Families Face Higher Costs as Back-to-School Season Arrives
Wertynews.com – As back-to-school season approaches, families face higher costs for supplies and other expenses associated with the upcoming academic year, according to a new analysis. The cost of a typical basket of school items, including notebooks, lunch boxes, and index cards, has increased nearly 8% this year compared to 2025, based on research from The Century Foundation, a progressive think tank, and Groundwork Collaborative, a progressive advocacy group. Additionally, Americans will pay 11% more for a typical school lunch, the groups discovered.
Families face higher costs overall this year, with parents expected to spend roughly $4,000 per student on school supplies and lunches combined. This total includes approximately $175 on school items and $3,800 on packed lunches, according to the analysis. “It’s the second-biggest shopping event of the year after Christmas, and families are going to be facing a lot of pain this school year,” Lindsay Owens, executive director of Groundwork Collaborative, told CBS News. “Higher gas prices have filtered through to food and clothing, and tariffs are hitting these items heavily, too, because most school supplies are not made in the U.S. — they’re imported,” she added.
“It’s the second-biggest shopping event of the year after Christmas, and families are going to be facing a lot of pain this school year,” Lindsay Owens, executive director of Groundwork Collaborative, told CBS News.
Inflation across the U.S. slowed in June, easing to an annual rate of 3.5%, down from 4.2% in May, as fuel costs fell. Yet gas prices have flared in July amid renewed conflict in the Middle East. Among the products that are costlier this year, according to The Century Foundation and Groundwork Collaborative, are several key items.
What’s Driving Up Prices for Families?
Steeper U.S. tariffs on a range of imports have driven up the price of binders, pencils, and other school supplies, the groups’ research shows. Many school essentials, such as pens, markers, notebooks, and glue, are manufactured overseas, making them subject to higher tariffs. For example, Newell Brands, the maker of Sharpie pens, Elmer’s glue, and other classroom products, said in an earnings release earlier this year that it would hike prices to offset sharply higher tariff costs. Matteo Anversa, the chief financial officer of Logitech, which makes electronics like headsets and keyboards, in May also cited stepped-up tariffs for a “sizable” increase in its U.S. prices.
Other school-supply companies also blame higher energy costs due to the Iran war for having to raise their prices. Acco Brands, the parent company of notebook and binder brands Mead, Five Star, and Trapper Keeper, said in a May earnings call that higher oil prices stemming from the conflict have driven up the company’s costs and led to price hikes for consumers. A recent survey of more than 1,000 parents by Credit Karma found that 45% expect to take on debt to cover back-to-school costs.
Half of families plan to cut back on household expenses to cover those costs, according to Deloitte. “Parents do what they can to try to get their kids to school with the essentials, so it’s not surprising folks are cutting back to make sure their kids have what they need,” Groundwork’s Owens said. As families face higher costs this year, many are adjusting their budgets and finding creative ways to manage the financial burden of preparing for the new school year.
