Supply and demand: It’s that time of year again
Karen Peterson photo
Dylan Wilson looks for the calculator he needs to start 8th grade this fall school year in Ronan.
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Teachers all over the valley are sending out lists of school supplies with items for students to collect and return to school including: pencils, erasers, folders, scissors and paper; but some parents are confused as to why they need to purchase a sometimes long list of items.
“It seems like a lot of stuff. I don’t understand why I need to buy four boxes of tissue. I guess the kids need it. I don’t understand it but I get the stuff anyway,” parent Ashley Meacham said in Polson as she collected school supplies.
Inflation is giving schools an economic pinch.
“Historically parents have always bought some supplies, but we’ve been asking them for more. We just don’t have resources like we used to. Money is tight,” said Tom McKoy, Arlee fourth grade teacher.
Federal and State dollars are used for operating costs first.
“The majority of our dollars support maintenance and personal,” said Ronan School District Superintendent Andy Holmlund. “The cost of everything is going up like heating costs; we need to create a good environment for the students to learn, so heating is something we have to pay first.
“It’s been a continual trend over the past 15 years: school costs are not keeping up with the price of inflation.”
There isn’t much left by the time the dollars trickle down to the teachers for supplies.
“They are giving us the same amount of money but everything costs so much more. We are not getting enough money for basic supplies,” said Charlo kindergarten teacher Bonnie Perry.
Perry sent out a list with a few fishy requests.
“I’m asking for things like crayons, pencils, glue, markers and Goldfish. We use the Goldfish for math activities. Disinfecting wipes, I’m asking for those. They help keep things clean, especially when colds are going around.”
Teachers get a few hundred dollars to work with during the year, but the money usually doesn’t last long, so teachers often end up dipping into their own pockets.
“All teachers spend their own money on supplies. It’s just part of making sure kids have everything they need,” McKoy said.
The pencil becomes a precious commodity by the end of the year when supplies are running low.
“We use a couple thousand or more pencils each year. It seems like they disappear or they get used up. We buy a lot of them and parents buy a lot.”
Parents are also feeling the effects of rising costs.
“Some can’t afford to buy supplies. We stock extra so everyone has what they need. We make sure kids have what they need to learn.”
Mission School District students Mataya Padilla, sixth grade, and Nakoda Padilla, third grade, have fond memories of extra-large pencils.
“We liked the fat pencils the best,” Mataya said. “You use those mostly in kindergarten but they were my favorite.”
Ronan Middle School Student Dylan Wilson, 13, is eager to get back to school.
“I worked all summer so I can save up to buy a horse, so I’m happy to get back to school,” he said as he collected school supplies. “I’m looking for a calculator. My dog broke the last one — really.”
