Parents, community members react to rising school supplies costs

As rising costs of school supplies continue to be a widespread issue, some parents in Orange County are struggling to afford materials for their children.

Like at other schools across the district, the Carrboro Elementary Parent Teacher Association is collecting donations to provide students with school supplies, KC Hysmith, the vice president of communications at the Carrboro Elementary PTA, said. 

According to 2023-2024 data from the Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief Funds, over 34 percent of Carrboro Elementary School students are from low-income households. Hysmith said since Carrboro Elementary is a Title I school — a federally funded school with a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students — the school supplies fund ensures all students receive the support they need.

"The main driver here is equity and access to the supplies they need to have a good school year," she said. 

Hysmith said Carrboro Elementary School teachers give the school's PTA a list of materials for their classes and they work with volunteers to source all of the necessary supplies. Some of the supplies include pencil boxes, folders, crayons and hygiene products, she said.

Most of the work — including collecting supplies and raising donations for students — is done by volunteers, rather than sponsors from businesses, Hysmith said. Carrboro Elementary collects monetary donations using a rolling budget fully funded by parents, and leftover money is used for supplies for the next school year, she said. 

Maria Elena Mendez, a parent of a student at the school, said the supplies fund saves parents a lot of time from having to buy supplies themselves.

"[The students] really need it, and they have it here," she said.

In an email, Hysmith said this school year's supply budget is just under $16,500 for approximately 500 students. She also said in an email that if they are able, parents are asked to donate around $35 to $40 per child. Parents are encouraged to donate more for other families that cannot reach the suggested donation amount, she said.

"This year, about 16 percent of [the PTA's operating] budget is dedicated to the school supplies program, so it's a huge chunk of our program," Hysmith said.

Woody Pipatchaisiri, a parent of a student at Seawell Elementary School — another school with a supplies fund — said the school sends out a newsletter when they need extra supplies. He said he donated around $50 to the school's supplies fund. 

"Some people, they didn't have a chance to [get] the supplies, and [now] they have the opportunity to use them and utilize them in the classroom," he said. 

Hysmith said growing up, her family struggled to afford school supplies. If her school had had a school supplies fund, it would have made her parents' lives easier, she said.

"I'm just very grateful that [schools] do this, and get all the stuff for all the kids," Mendez said. 

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