Why "free" public education doesn't always include school supplies

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Indicator from Planet Money

Episode: Why "free" public education doesn't always include school supplies
Date: September 18, 2025
Hosts: Wayland Wong, Adrienne Ma

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Overview

This episode examines the economic reality behind school supply lists in the United States, highlighting how the promise of "free" public education often leaves families and teachers paying out of pocket for essential classroom items. The hosts explore the reasons for this hidden cost, discuss the burdens on parents and teachers, and showcase a Colorado school district that has shifted to providing supplies to students directly.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Expanding School Supply List (00:11–01:14)

• Opening Montage:
  Parents and hosts share what’s on their children’s supply lists, ranging from binders and notebooks to bulk cleaning supplies ("two boxes of wet ones, hand soap").
• Cost Breakdown:
  Parents report spending anywhere from $50 to $100 per child just for supplies, often including items for classroom use, not just personal use.
• National Data:
  The National Retail Federation reports an average family school supply budget of $144 for the year.
• Teacher Burden:
  Teachers nationally spend hundreds of dollars every year on classroom essentials, unreimbursed.

Quote:

"The National Retail Federation says families are budgeting $144 on average this year for school supplies. Teachers also spend hundreds of dollars every year on classroom essentials without getting reimbursed."
—Wayland Wong (01:34)

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2. Why Are Families Paying for "Free" Public Education? (01:46–02:23)

• Inflation:
  Costs for school supplies have risen 7% in the last year—outpacing general inflation, according to the Century Foundation.
• Systemic Issue:
  Hosts pose the central question: Why do parents and teachers pay so much for supplies in a "free" public system?

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3. An Alternative: District-Provided Supplies in Colorado Springs (03:30–05:13)

• Interview:
  Rachel Laufer, assistant superintendent in Colorado Springs, describes how her district changed policy a decade ago to buy classroom supplies in bulk for elementary and middle school students.
• Implementation:
  Families now only need to bring a backpack; supplies are waiting for students at their desks on the first day.
• Funding:
  This program uses Title 1 federal funds—intended to help schools with many students from low-income families.
  • Cost: About $200,000 yearly for 6,000 students (excludes laptops).
  • Trade-offs: Less funding is available for other programs, requiring creative budget adjustments.

Quote:

"The focus really changed to having that first positive impression of your new teacher in the classroom and it be about the people and not about all the materials. So it was a huge change that I loved as a principal."
—Rachel Laufer (04:27)

Quote:

"Did we have to tighten up on some other things? Yes, but I think each school found different creative ways to absorb that to be able to make this a priority for our families."
—Rachel Laufer (05:13)

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4. Chronic Underfunding in U.S. Public Schools (05:25–07:11)

• Expert Insight:
  Hilary Weffing, economist at the Economic Policy Institute, discusses underfunding.
  • Causes: Dates back to the 2007–2009 Great Recession, which led to reduced property taxes and tightened state/local budgets.
  • Consequences: Slowed growth in education spending since 2008 and funds diverted away from public schools in some states via school choice initiatives.
• Impact:
  Schools are forced to rely on parents for supplies, use fees, or run fundraisers to cover material needs.

Quote:

"There are many instances where public school districts don't have enough funds to cover everything. And so they do things like they have parent drives, fundraisers, supply wish lists or fees in order to provide high quality education...because many of these schools are chronically underfunded."
—Hilary Weffing (05:36)

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5. The Prioritization Dilemma (06:36–07:11)

• Essential vs. Extra Expenses:
  Schools must pay for building maintenance and support staff before buying supplies. With tight budgets, "supplies get the short straw."
• Parental Help:
  Supplies are one of the few costs schools can directly ask families to cover, as opposed to hiring staff or making major repairs.

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6. Teacher Pay and Out-of-Pocket Expenses (07:21–07:43)

• Teacher Sacrifice:
  Most teachers pay out of pocket for supplies, which functions as a "de facto pay cut."
• Pay Disparity:
  Female K-12 public school teachers earn on average 21% less than women with similar backgrounds in other jobs.

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7. The Case for Public Funding of All School Needs (07:43–08:19)

• Expert Opinion:
  Hilary Weffing argues that, ideally, all aspects that affect a student's ability to learn—including supplies, lunches, and health care—should be publicly funded because of the broad societal benefits (externalities) of education.

Quote:

"In a perfect world, anything that's affecting a student's ability to learn should be covered by public funds for public education...A well educated student becomes a thoughtful, critical thinking adult. And that's really good, not just for that individual person, but...for our society at large and for democracy."
—Hilary Weffing (07:50)

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8. State-Level Policy Attempts and Ongoing Challenges (08:19–08:49)

• Legislative Efforts:
  Some states, like Michigan and California, mandate public schools to provide supplies, but enforcement is inconsistent, and out-of-pocket purchasing persists.
• District Innovations:
  Colorado Springs is highlighted as a rare example where the district removes supply burdens from K–8 families.

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9. Personal Reflections on School Supplies (09:00–09:30)

• Favorite Supplies:
  • Rachel Laufer: "Post-it notes, very traditional." (09:03–09:15)
  • Adrienne Ma: "Magic markers. They smell so good." (09:22–09:27)
• Humorous Banter:
  Adrienne jokes about whether it’s okay to sniff scented markers, bringing a lighthearted close.

Quote:

"Are you supposed to smell those ones or...Because if not, they're really making it—sending some mixed messages."
—Adrienne Ma (09:30)

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• On rising supply costs for families and teachers:

  "The National Retail Federation says families are budgeting $144 on average this year for school supplies. Teachers also spend hundreds of dollars every year on classroom essentials without getting reimbursed."
  —Wayland Wong (01:34)

• On the emotional impact of shifting school supply policies:

  "The focus really changed to having that first positive impression of your new teacher in the classroom and it be about the people and not about all the materials."
  —Rachel Laufer (04:27)

• On chronic underfunding:

  "There are many instances where public school districts don't have enough funds to cover everything...because many of these schools are chronically underfunded."
  —Hilary Weffing (05:36)

• A call for comprehensive funding:

  "In a perfect world, anything that's affecting a student's ability to learn should be covered by public funds for public education...for our society at large and for democracy."
  —Hilary Weffing (07:50)

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Selected Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:11 – School supply list montage from parents
• 01:25 – Breakdown of supply costs for families
• 01:46 – Data on supply cost inflation
• 03:30 – Rachel Laufer discusses the Colorado Springs district’s policy
• 05:36 – Economist Hilary Weffing explains chronic underfunding
• 07:21 – Discussion of teacher pay gap and out-of-pocket expenses
• 07:50 – Weffing on the broader societal case for school funding
• 08:34 – State legislative approaches to school supplies
• 09:00 – Personal reflections on favorite school supplies

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Conclusion

This episode sheds light on the hidden costs of "free" public education, explaining why families are still asked to shoulder supply expenses, the historical and systemic funding issues facing public schools, and one district's innovative solution to remove that burden. The broader takeaway suggests that better funding structures are needed nationwide to ensure every student has the basics they need to learn, and every teacher is properly supported. The episode combines data, personal anecdotes, and policy insights in a concise yet thought-provoking narrative.

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Transcript

[Rachel Laufer]

Npr.

[Wayland Wong]

A new academic year is underway. And with that comes the hallowed ritual of buying school supplies. These days that can mean not just pencils and notebooks for one student, but also cleaning supplies and bulk quantities of stuff to be shared in a classroom.

[Adrienne Ma]

So in the spirit of back to school season, we asked parents to tell us what was on their kids school supply list. And then we composed a little montage of it.

[Hilary Weffing]

This is the supply list for my kindergartener this year, for my seventh grader.

[Rachel Laufer]

My 10 year old and the 15 year old.

[Hilary Weffing]

A three ring binder.

[Adrienne Ma]

One lunchbox with a handle for easy carrying.

[Hilary Weffing]

Two composition notebooks that were 7 1/2 by 9 1/4 inch.

[Adrienne Ma]

One backpack, regular sized.

[Hilary Weffing]

Five boxes of crayons, pencils, whiteboard, markers, glue, sticks, scissors and so on. Two containers of wet ones, hand soap.

[Adrienne Ma]

All this really takes me back to my elementary school days. But two boxes of wet ones? I mean, in my day we just went through the rest of the day sticky, you know what I mean?

[Wayland Wong]

That's how you build resilience in children. You just make them sit in their mess. Now if you're thinking all of this stuff, wet ones included, must really add up, you get a gold star.

[Adrienne Ma]

Total cost was approximately $50 this year.

[Wayland Wong]

I still spent about $70 or so on supplies.

[Hilary Weffing]

We spent about $100 on all of this.

[Wayland Wong]

The National Retail Federation says families are budgeting $144 on average this year for school supplies. Teachers also spend hundreds of dollars every year on classroom essentials without getting reimbursed.

[Adrienne Ma]

And they are feeling the pinch. The Century foundation, which is a progressive think tank, says the cost for a typical basket of school supplies has gone up 7% in the last year, which is way more than overall inflation.

[Wayland Wong]

So prices for these materials are up. But why are parents and teachers footing the bill at all for public schools? This is the indicator from Planet Money. I'm Wayland Wong.

[Adrienne Ma]

And I'm Adrienne Ma. Today on the show, why a free public education can actually come with costs to families. And one school district tells us how they are doing things differently.

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[Wayland Wong]

Rachel Laufer is an assistant superintendent of a public school district in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She used to be the principal of a K through 8 school in the district and her school, like many others, would do these Meet the Teacher events. Before the first day of classes, families got to tour the classroom and drop off the supplies they had bought.

[Rachel Laufer]

Parents are walking in and some of them would have to do multiple loads out to their car to go get all the bags.

[Adrienne Ma]

These parents are bringing in bags and bags of supplies they bought. But then about a decade ago, Rachel School District changed its policy on school supplies and said that the district would cover the cost for its elementary and middle school students. All Rachel needed to do as principal was place a bulk order for all the crayons and scissors and whatever else our school needed. And then at the next Meet the Teacher event, all the supplies would be laid out on desks. No more running back to the car for bags of stuff.

[Rachel Laufer]

The focus really changed to having that first positive impression of your new teacher in the classroom and it be about the people and not about all the materials. So it was a huge change that I loved as a principal.

[Wayland Wong]

Rachel's district has around 6,000 students covered under this policy. She estimates that the district spends around $200,000 a year on supplies. That includes stuff like pens and notebooks, but not laptops which come out of a different set of funds.

[Adrienne Ma]

Yeah, the money comes from what are called Title 1 funds. Those are federal dollars that are distributed often based on how many students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Using this money for school supplies means less money for other programs, but Rachel says it's been a worthwhile trade off.

[Rachel Laufer]

Did we have to tighten up on some other things? Yes, but I think each school found different creative ways to absorb that to be able to make this a priority for our families.

[Wayland Wong]

Other districts might want to do something similar, but they can't make the numbers work. That's according to Hilary Weffing. She's an economist at the Economic Policy Institute, which is a left leaning think tank.

[Hilary Weffing]

There are many instances where public school districts don't have enough Funds to cover everything. And so they do things like they have parent drives, fundraisers supply wish lists or fees in order to provide high quality education, often in the form of things like school supplies. Schools feel like they have to do this. They have no other choice because many of these schools are chronically underfunded.

[Adrienne Ma]

Hillary says this chronic underfunding dates back to the Great Recession, which officially ran from 2007 to 2009. The collapse of the housing market meant much lower home prices. That meant less property tax money flowing to public schools. Plus, many state and local governments tightened their belts.

[Wayland Wong]

Hillary and a colleague published a report last month on U.S. investment in public education. They found that growth in spending has slowed down since 2008. The report also says school choice initiatives in certain states have funneled government money away from public schools to private ones.

[Adrienne Ma]

Hillary says this underfunding leaves public schools in a tough spot. They still have to maintain their buildings. They have to hire support staff like guidance counselors and nurses.

[Hilary Weffing]

All of these are actually critical for keeping a student locked in and ready to learn in the classroom. But they are not the actual pencils or erasers or whatnot. And so oftentimes, when districts have a small pot of money that they have to spread among seven or eight different pockets, right? That means that supply supplies in particular can get the short straw.

[Adrienne Ma]

After all, school supplies are something that schools can ask parents to help with as opposed to other expenses like hiring a social worker or fixing the roof of the building.

[Wayland Wong]

The vast majority of teachers also pay out of pocket for stuff they need. That's like a de facto pay cut, since they're spending money to do their job. And that's on top of a pay disparity that Hillary notes in her report. She cites research showing that women who are K12 public school teachers earn 21% less than women of similar educational and demographic backgrounds.

[Adrienne Ma]

And in her opinion, the government should cover not just supplies, but also school lunch and health care for students.

[Hilary Weffing]

In a perfect world, anything that's affecting a student's ability to learn should be covered by public funds for public education. This is because public education has so many positive externalities, which is to say, benefits that extend all well beyond any individual student. A well educated student becomes a thoughtful, critical thinking adult. And that's really good, not just for that individual person, but again, for our kind of society at large and for democracy.

[Adrienne Ma]

Hillary acknowledges that the very nature of public education is up for debate. Right now. There's a disagreement about how much money schools should get, what they should be teaching and whether things like lunch should even be covered by public funds.

[Wayland Wong]

On the school supply front, some states have tried tackling the issue through legislation. In Michigan, for example, state law says public schools have to provide supplies. California has a similar law. In practice, however, parents and teachers do still end up buying supplies in many cases.

[Adrienne Ma]

And then there are districts like Rachel Loffers in Colorado Springs. That's where kindergartners through eighth graders are asked to just show up with a backpack and the district will provide the rest.

[Wayland Wong]

Do you have a favorite school supply?

[Rachel Laufer]

Mine have to be post it notes. So when I I had the same secretary when I was a principal, she was like, oh, you and the post itself, I forgot about this.

[Wayland Wong]

So do you do just like the square ones or do the mini ones or.

[Rachel Laufer]

I do the square ones. Very traditional.

[Wayland Wong]

Love it. Adrian, where do you come down on school supplies?

[Adrienne Ma]

You have a favorite, I think the magic markers. They smell so good.

[Wayland Wong]

Yeah, the ones that smell like grape and cherry and stuff.

[Adrienne Ma]

Yes. Are you supposed to smell those ones or. Because if not, they're really making it. Sending some mixed messages.

[Wayland Wong]

This episode was produced by Angel Carreras with engineering by Maggie Luthar. It was fact checked by Sierra Juarez and edited by Julia Ritchie. Kicking Cannon is our show's editor and the indicator is a production of npr.

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