For school districts, stocking up for the new school year is a methodical process that occurs months in advance. For teachers, it’s a thoughtful analysis of what can be reused, donated, borrowed or bought.
For families, getting materials could include a visit to a back-to-school event with free giveaways, a last minute run to the local discount store, or the agonizing realization they can’t afford or find access to the colorful notebooks or expensive graphing calculators their children need.
As students, families, teachers and school districts prepare for the new school year, many organizations are tracking how much is being spent, when the buying takes place and what is being purchased.
