I recently came across an article lamenting the rising cost of basic school supplies, and it prompted me to write about the issue. Every August, Oklahoma families get the school supply list, usually composed of at least the following: Pencils. Paper. Folders. Binders. Kleenex. Disinfecting wipes. Dry-erase markers. Headphones. Ziploc bags. Hand sanitizer.
Then school starts, and another round of expenses begins.
There are activity fees. Club fees. Uniforms. Fundraisers. Field trips. Pictures. Yearbooks. And admission to school events.
Local Oklahoma schools take different approaches to their school supply lists. Central Middle School in Edmond charges parents a $30 supply fee that, if not paid by October, becomes a “fine.” They don’t state what the consequences are for not paying the fine.
ASTEC Charter School charges a $25 Supply Charge along with an Activity Fee and tells parents their child’s enrollment is not complete until those fees are paid. Its current Fall 2026 enrollment page says families must provide documentation and “pay (or the school waives) all fees” before the child is “fully enrolled and eligible to attend classes.”
In comparison, Harding Charter Prep offers parents the option to buy a school supply pack from the school, or to buy supplies on their own.
Yukon HS requires fees for Art classes. Other schools put supply lists online for different grade levels.
Why are we still doing this?
According to a study authorized by Governor Kevin Stitt, Oklahoma public schools had $4.5 billion in cash in their fund balances at the end of FY25. Kudos to school superintendents for being good stewards of tax dollars, but paying for the basic classroom supplies teachers and students need out of General Fund money surely won’t break anyone.
Some Oklahoma schools and other states have already taken this approach.
California Education Code requires school districts to furnish writing and drawing paper, pens, ink, crayons, pencils, and other necessary supplies. The California Department of Education states that schools must provide all supplies, materials, and equipment needed to participate in an educational activity free of charge. A school cannot get around that rule merely by offering a fee waiver.
Utah law prohibits K–6 schools from charging for supplies used during the regular school day. A school can send parents a supply list, but it has to tell them that supplying the items is voluntary and that, otherwise, “they will be furnished by the school.” Utah specifically defines personal supplies to include pencils, paper, notebooks, crayons, and scissors.
In Oklahoma, Ada City Schools announced that all students will receive basic supplies at no cost for 2026–27, although a church rather than the district is supporting the program. Hulbert Public Schools has also been providing most basic supplies—including pencils, paper, notebooks, folders, crayons, scissors, and glue—at no cost to families. Several other rural schools, such as Cordell, Perry, and Atoka, tell parents that the school will provide all school supplies.
As a former K-12 school superintendent and principal, I understand the reasoning behind school supply lists. Teachers often have projects that they want students to do, and it seems easier to put the onus on families to provide supplies even when teachers often end up buying supplies out of their own pocket. Fundraisers such as school carnivals and other activities take a lot of work, and frankly, teachers and administrators already have full plates. However, schools are also missing an opportunity to let their communities help beyond a tax levy. It is worth spending general fund money on school supplies in exchange for the goodwill it creates with families.
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