PECKVILLE, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — Learn with Lex LLC is a non-traditional learning space for kids with special needs.
Since 2023, they’ve specialized in hands-on and individual learning for each child, but the costs of supplies are catching up.
“A lot of the tools that we need are different than a traditional child would need for back to school,” said Learn with Lex LLC owner Lex Hermann. “So, we still need pencils and crayons and all that fun stuff, however, we’re probably going to need 6000 laminating sheets, 5 billion Velcro dots, and just a lot of things that really help our kids have successful curriculum and opportunities.”
Based on a study from the Groundwork Collaborative, school supplies in general are mostly on the rise.
“Lunchboxes are up 27%. Notebooks up 23%. Index cards up 22%. So, filling your backpack just costs more than it did a year ago,” explained Anisha Steephen, a Roosevelt Institute Fellow.
Including lunches, families should expect to see an 11% rise in prices compared to last year. School supplies on their own surged by nearly 8%. Children’s shoes also saw a 5% rise in prices, the largest in years.
A survey from Deloitte showed that half of parents are cutting back on other household expenses to make room in their budget for back-to-school shopping.
For Hermann, these higher prices have made things like extra events or expanding to a new location for now, out of the question.
“My idea is to expand and be able to have more locations of Learn with Lex because I want to be able to offer these services to more families,” said Hermann. “Some families, you know, can’t drive an hour to get here each week, and that’s completely understandable. However, with prices constantly rising, it’s really hard to do those things.”
Prices aren’t expected to change soon.
Experts say tariff costs on companies and imported goods, higher diesel prices and shipping costs from the war in Iran, and inflation all play a role.
Recent cuts to SNAP and other federal assistance programs mean families have less help than ever in offsetting the rising costs. This, according to a new Intuit Credit Karma study, will have 57% of parents entering the back-to-school season with credit card debt, with 45% saying they plan to take on debt to pay for it all, a trend experts say is dangerous for the economy and personal finances.
“Rather than disappoint their kids, they’re taking, you know, putting all of these school supplies on credit cards that often have high interest rates,” said Steephen. “And again, it shouldn’t be up to parents having to make these difficult choices for their kids. Back to School is a time that should be enjoyed and a family activity. And unfortunately, parents are making really tough decisions, really at the expense of their kids.”