All students need school supplies—pencils, notebooks, backpacks, calculators, and even electronics like headphones and iPads. Every year, the infamous school supply list includes materials students might need to start the school year. Many students may need different supplies for each grade, driving up costs even further.
But how do families pay for these things and how much money is spent to ensure that children’s needs are met in the upcoming school year? For many, especially low-income families, the cost of these materials can place a significant financial burden on the pockets of parents and guardians across the United States and especially in cities like Los Angeles, one of the most expensive cities in the world.
The National Retail Federation has been conducting its annual Back to School and Back to College surveys since 2003 to find out how families in the U.S. will shop during the next school year. According to the annual survey by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights and Analytics, families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $874.68 on clothing, shoes, electronics and school supplies in 2024.
Similar to last year, the survey found that the most popular destinations for shopping for school supplies are the Internet (57%), department stores (50%), discount stores (47%), clothing stores (42%) and electronics stores (23%).
Another back-to-school survey conducted by WalletHub polled over 200 parents and found some of the same results. When it comes to the cost of education, 86% of parents said they felt the cost of education was out of control.
According to WalletHub, 33% of parents said they use coupons to save money on back-to-school shopping, making it the most popular savings method. Next is another savings method used by 29% of parents when applying for a credit card.
To help ease the annual back-to-school costs, community and city organizations across LA have organized back-to-school supplies drives and free events. Here are some of the events taking place this coming weekend, August 10-11, and the weekend after, August 17-18.
Promotional gifts for supplies:
10 August: The Back to School Fair at Harbor Community Health Centers
There will be free backpacks and school supplies, as well as entertainment, games and free gifts from community nonprofits. Children must be accompanied by an adult who must be present to receive a backpack. Limit one per person.
Time: 10am – 1pm
Location: Harbor Community Health Centers, 425 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro, CA. 90731. For more information, call (310) 547-0202.
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10 August: Happy start to school in Huntington Park
Get ready for back to school with services, resources and activities for the whole family. There will be free backpacks and school supplies, health screenings, haircuts, raffles, food distribution, kids’ activities and more. A child must be present to receive a backpack and school supplies. One backpack and school supplies per child, while supplies last. Haircuts are limited to the first 200 attendees, while supplies last. Children under 18 must be accompanied by a family member or guardian.
Time: 8am – 1pm
Location: Salt Lake Park. 3401 East Florence Ave., Huntington Park, CA 90255. Admission free.
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10 August: DIG LIFE’s 4th Annual Back 2 School Backpack Giveaway and Bike Giveaway
This coming Saturday, Pass the Baton Clothing, the Port of Long Beach, Long Beach City Councilwoman Mary Zendejas (CD1), Pedal Movement, Molina Health Care, and the nonprofit DIGLIFE will join forces to host their annual back-to-school raffle and free haircuts. The event will also include a free bike raffle and bike repair session. This event requires students and youth to be present to receive these resources.
Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: Cesar Chavez Park in Long Beach. For more information, email [email protected]
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10 August 2024: “Back to school block party with backpack gift”
South Los Angeles will also provide school supplies to families and students. The community organization Brother Taking Responsibility of Our Community (BTROC) will host a free backpack giveaway where students and their families can enjoy free hot dogs, hamburgers, popcorn and beverages. Organizers encourage students to bring their most recent report card to win prizes that will be awarded to students with the best and highest grade point average (GPA) across all grade levels.
Location: The corner of San Pedro Street and 62nd Street in South LA
For more information, visit https://btroc.org/
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August 16, 2024: Avalon Gardens, back-to-school gift
SBCC Thrive LA, a social change agency, and First Five LA, a district organization focused on the importance of the early childhood years, host their back-to-school raffle in South LA
Time: 2pm – 5pm
Location: The Avalon Gardens Housing Projects, 701 E 88th Pl., Los Angeles
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17 August: Health and fun festival to mark the start of school
The Pools of Hope and College Square organizations are organizing a community event with free backpacks, food, asthma screenings, raffles, and even free cell phones for children ages 5 to 17. The event is free and supplies are provided on a first-come, first-served basis. In addition to backpacks, food, free dental kits, and asthma screenings, children can also swim for free in the venue’s pool.
Location: The California Aquatic Therapy and Wellness Center, Inc. in Long Beach
For more information, call: (310) 480-2248 or (562) 458-5638
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17 August: 19th Annual Back 2 School Health and Resource Fair
California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) is hosting the 19th annual Back to School Health and Resource Fair. The event is geared toward students with autism and special needs, but everyone is welcome to attend and utilize the materials and resources. The event, organized by the Special Needs Network, includes mental health screenings, activities, games, food, and school bags given away to over 1,000 children. In addition to free school supplies, children can also enjoy a free petting zoo, bouncy houses, and trampolines.
Time: 10am – 2pm
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This story was produced by CALÓ Newsa news organization that covers Latino/a/x communities.
