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School Supply Lists Growing Longer ; Back to Class Means Expenses for Parents

Posted on: Saturday, 6 August 2005, 03:01 CDT

School supply lists have more than pencils and notebooks on them these days.

In many Pikes Peak area schools, students are asked to bring hand sanitizer, Ziploc bags and hand soap.

But even expanded school supply costs seem tiny compared to what students or their parents may shell out this month for fees and other expenses.

Middle and high school students often must pay to take elective classes such as music and art. These can range from a $1 science fee at Jenkins Middle School to $80 for an Advanced Placement calculus test at Woodland Park High School.

Then there are other items, such as parking permits and pre- purchases of yearbooks. It can quickly lighten any parent's wallet.

Officials say parents generally aren't complaining, and districts help any family that can't afford supplies or fees.

At Woodmen Hills Elementary in Falcon School District 49, fees pay for enrichment activities, said Principal Mike Collins.

Last year, for example, fifthgraders dissected baby sharks to learn more about science, Collins said. It was a great experience, he said; the students learned through all their senses, including smell.

Because it wasn't part of the regular curriculum, teachers asked students to pay to cover costs of materials. Parents felt it was an important experience, Collins said, and were willing to pay a few dollars to foot the bill.

Classroom fees for elementary students can range from $2 to $30.

Fees often pay for supplies teachers have purchased for the class, such as assignment books that help teachers communicate with parents, or subscriptions to magazines or newsletters that will be used in assignments, said Elaine Naleski, director of communications and community relations in Colorado Springs School District 11.

In D-11, parents haven't been complaining about the fees or the need to provide things such as hand soap and paper towels, Naleski said.

But, she said, "the teacher should not have to be asking for hand soap."

At Holmes Middle School, each student is expected to supply two reams of copy paper. But, said D-11 parent Carla Albers, "I know how strapped they are for money."

Collins said most parents of Woodmen Hills students are comfortable with sending along a box of tissues and a bottle of hand sanitizer. Students get a bit of hand sanitizer when they enter the computer lab, which is shared by dozens of students each day.

Schools want to direct as much money as possible to instructional needs such as textbooks. Buying hand sanitizer would mean buying less of something else, Collins said.

Albers said the extra supplies aren't a burden for most families. But for others, pencils and notebooks are enough to buy, she said.

Money can be an issue when teachers ask for specific brands of supplies such as Fiskar scissors or Crayola markers.

Naleski said teachers know some brands work better. Fiskar scissors, for example, are better-performing and last longer than others. Cheap pencils might have crooked lead.

"It has to do with quality," Naleski said.

Collins and Naleski said schools are always able to find money or supplies if a student cannot pay. They said families that need help should contact the district or the school principal.

FIRST DAYS

All public schools in the Pikes Peak region begin classes in August. Some Falcon School District 49 students go back this week. Charter schools may have different starting dates than the district they're in. Here's the first day of class for area districts:

Academy School District 20: Aug. 15 Calhan School District RJ-1: Aug. 15, middle and high school students; Aug. 18, elementary students

Cheyenne Mountain School District 12: Aug. 22

Colorado Springs School District 11: Aug. 18

Cripple Creek Victor School District RE-1: Aug. 22

Edison School District 54-JT: Aug. 16

Ellicott School District 22: Aug. 15

Falcon School District 49: Thursday for middle school and grade 9; Friday for grades 10, 11, 12; Aug. 8 for elementary students except kindergartners; Aug. 10 for kindergartners

Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8: Aug. 11

Hanover School District 28: Aug. 16, junior and senior high students; Aug. 18, elementary students

Harrison School District 2: Aug. 15

Lewis-Palmer School District 38: Aug. 18

Manitou Springs School District 14: Aug. 23

Miami-Yoder School District 60-JT: Aug. 16

Peyton School District 23-JT: Aug. 11

Widefield School District 3: Aug. 17

Woodland Park School District RE-2: Aug. 29

HOW TO GIVE

The KKTV 11 News Back to School Drive sponsored by Ent Federal Credit Union ends Friday.

Anyone interested in donating school items may do so at any of Ent Federal Credit Union's 19 service center locations throughout the Pikes Peak Region.

For information, go to www.Ent.com.

Source: Gazette, The; Colorado Springs, Colo.

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