School supply list stretch beyond student basics

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Students are heading back to school, but the list of supplies they need is no longer just paper and pencils. It now includes items beyond what your child needs for reading, writing and ‘rithmetic.

“When I was back in school, years ago, we had to just bring in a box of Kleenex, pens, pencils, scissors, that sort of thing,” parent and teacher Lorraine Beadore said. “Now we’re asked to send in copy paper, five reams of it, tissues, Germ-X, Lysol Wipes, those kind of things that normally, or what I thought, the school would take care of, and now the parents have to provide that in addition to the regular supplies.”

Stores like Target are taking notice of the changes as well. You can find paper towels and Germ-X in the back-to-school section. One of the most recent additions to the supply list that store mangers have noticed is copy paper. From the empty spaces on the shelves it seems parents are going along with the changes.

Beadore says being both a parent and a teacher she understands why schools are asking for more.

“Unfortunately there isn’t that much money that’s going into education anymore,” she said, “so I think theses kind of things like paper, disposable type of items can be provided by parents in order to cut cost to have better programs and better teachers and that sort of thing.”

It could be worse. In Jacksonville, FL, one school’s supply list requires students to bring in toilet paper.