NewsEducationBack To School

Actions

Back-to-school shopping: Parents feeling the pinch as costs climb

From notebooks to sneakers, WPTV's Vannia Joseph spoke with families who are expected to spend nearly $600 per child this year
back to school shopping costs thumbnail.jpg
Posted
and last updated

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Back-to-school shopping season is here, and for many parents, it's coming with a heavy price tag. From notebooks to sneakers, families are expected to spend nearly $600 per child this year, according to Deloitte.

WATCH BELOW: 'It's getting more expensive,' Samuel Estriplet tells WPTV's Vannia Joseph

Back-to-school shopping: Parents feeling the pinch as costs climb

Parents across Palm Beach County say even small purchases are adding up quickly.

"Summer is really hard on parents," one parent told WPTV.

Samuel Estriplet, who has three children, says the costs are higher than ever.

"Right now they are in third grade and it's getting more expensive than it was before," he said. "For bookbags and all those things, it costs us maybe $300, sometimes more."

Retailers like Target and Walmart are trying to help by keeping hundreds of school supply items at last year's prices. But for families buying for multiple kids—or even one child—the bills still hit hard.

Lee Dobbs, who is raising his grandson, said he's already spent $125 on supplies—and that doesn't even include clothes.

"I start buying months in advance," Dobbs said. "You can go to Dollar Tree and get a lot of the stuff. You can go to Five Below too."

MORE BACK-TO-SCHOOL COVERAGE

Local nonprofits are also stepping in to help ease the burden. Patrick Livingston, who runs Arms of Hope in Lake Worth Beach, organizes an annual school supply giveaway for low-income families and teachers.

"Yes, there's a bigger need this year than there was last year," Livingston said. "We're in a community where folks just need a little handout so we can help them and try to even the playing field for them to get back to school and not have to struggle."

Even with fewer donations during the summer months, Livingston says seeing the relief on families' faces makes the effort worth it.

"You're not knowing when your next resource is coming in, or how you're going to keep your doors open," he said. "But when you come to the event and see the impact, you wake up the next day and you find a way."

For parents and nonprofits alike, the goal is the same: making sure kids walk into the classroom ready to learn—without families feeling overwhelmed by the price tag.