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OPINION: NJ’s school supply crisis: Why parents are left paying for basic classroom needs

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OPINION: NJ’s school supply crisis: Why parents are left paying for basic classroom needs



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With my youngest now a high school senior, it’s been a while since I had to make that early August trip to Staples with a school supply list in hand, hoping to snag those Spider-Man folders. But curiosity got the best of me, so I decided to see what today’s parents are up against.

I pulled up a fifth-grade supply list from a New Jersey school and bought everything on Amazon. The total? $106.70 — just for classroom essentials. That doesn’t include the backpack, school clothes, gym gear or winter wear like hats, gloves and boots. And forget about art supplies, sports equipment or renting a musical instrument.

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Families with children in elementary through high school spend an average of $874 to prepare their kids for school.

What’s worse is that some of these items on the list aren’t even for the kids — they’re for the classroom. Disinfectant wipes, dry erase markers, erasers — parents are now expected to cover these, too. 

And don’t even get me started on Sharpies — you can’t buy just one; it’s a four-pack or nothing. And really, does my kid actually need 72 Ticonderoga pencils?

This is what public education looks like in New Jersey today — parents are footing the bill for what should be covered by the schools themselves. And let’s not forget that many underpaid teachers already dip into their own pockets to cover other classroom needs.

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When I partnered with the Morris County Interfaith Food Pantry as a collection site for their backpack drive, I never expected the flood of calls, emails, and visits it would trigger. For every one person who came to drop off supplies, five or six more showed up asking for help because they simply couldn’t afford what the school required.

And then there were the complaints — angry, baffled parents who couldn’t understand why, in a state that spends nearly $40 billion on education, with an average per-pupil cost of $26,970, they still had to buy basic classroom supplies benefiting all the students.

“Seventy percent of my taxes go to the local school, and they can’t buy a spiral notebook?” they asked, incredulous.

When families are driving 30 minutes to my office because they can’t afford school supplies, it’s clear we’re not dealing with just a lack of funds — we’re dealing with a crisis of misplaced priorities.

But not all hope is lost. Right down the road from my district office on Main Street in Chester, the local school board passed a novel idea: All supplies will be paid for and provided to every student this year, ensuring a “consistent educational experience.”

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But to make this work statewide, we need leadership from Trenton. Education budgets are tight because of unfunded mandates, and many districts have suffered serious cuts in state aid. We shouldn’t just ask local taxpayers and parents to keep footing the bill — we need to shift that responsibility to the state.

Why not create a fund within the Department of Education specifically for school supplies? It could be financed by restraining the nearly billion dollars lawmakers add to the budget each year for their pet projects.

This is a commonsense fix that prioritizes students. It could also be a first step to finally fixing the more complicated broken education funding formula, which picks winners and losers among districts.

I remember the embarrassment I felt when I came to school without the supplies I needed. My father, a single dad raising three girls on public assistance, protested the “ridiculous” supply lists by sending us to school without them. I’ll never forget the pit in my stomach and the flush on my face when the teacher said, “Take out your …” and I had nothing to take out.

Those were not so different times, and I want to believe that in New Jersey — a state that prides itself on offering a world-class education for every child — no student will start the school year behind because they don’t have the tools they need.

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We need a solution like providing school supplies, even if it means no more Spider-Man folders. It’s a small price to pay to ensure all children start the school year on equal footing.

Aura Dunn has been an assemblywoman since 2019. She represents parts of Morris and Passaic counties in the 25th Legislative District.



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Keefe | POST-RAW 11.12.24 | New Jersey Devils

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Keefe | POST-RAW 11.12.24 | New Jersey Devils


NewJerseyDevils.com is the official web site of the New Jersey Devils, a member team of the National Hockey League (“NHL”). NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup and NHL Conference logos are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. Copyright © 1999-2024 New Jersey Devils and the National Hockey League. All Rights Reserved.



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New Jersey could announce drought warning in effort to conserve water

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New Jersey could announce drought warning in effort to conserve water


From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

New Jersey may enter a drought warning this week as the region faces record-low rainfall, leading to the driest conditions in the past 120 years.

The state’s Department of Environmental Protection hosted a virtual hearing Tuesday to discuss current conditions and the potential need to conserve water.

The agency invited members of the press to attend a Wednesday briefing, at which officials will discuss a drought warning.

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If a drought warning is declared, the state could modify reservoir releases, require leak detections by water suppliers, and urge the public to voluntarily use water sparingly. A warning could be issued statewide, or be limited to the most hard-hit parts of the state, officials said Tuesday.

New Jersey entered a drought watch in October as the state faced the driest two-month period on record, leading to diminished streamflow, reservoir and groundwater levels. Environmental officials across the region have since asked residents to voluntarily conserve water at home.

Water supplies have worsened since last week in some locations, DEP officials said Tuesday, and about 40% of water providers are experiencing an above-average water demand.

The dry conditions have also caused an unseasonable number of wildfires in New Jersey, and the state has banned open fires such as bonfires.



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Red Flag Warning returns today for NYC area. Map shows greatest fire risk.

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Red Flag Warning returns today for NYC area. Map shows greatest fire risk.


NEW YORK — A Red Flag Warning is back in effect for much of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut on Tuesday, as gusty winds return to the forecast, along with the risk of wildfires.

After achieving record-setting warmth at a few locations Monday, temperatures will struggle to reach the mid 50s, retreating back to what’s consider normal. Paired with gusty winds, this will make it feel even cooler, so be sure to dress warm.

Map shows Red Flag Warning for Tri-State Area

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A Red Flag Warning is back in effect for New York, Connecticut and northeastern New Jersey.

CBS News New York

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Unfortunately, with the leaves and brush rapidly drying out, fire spread will be a greater concern Tuesday. 

The Red Flag Warning has been issued from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for New York City, the Hudson Valley, Long Island, northeast New Jersey and southwest Connecticut. 

The National Weather Service centers in New York and New Jersey put out a joint statement, reading in part, “Due to the combination of gusty winds and marginal relative humidity values, these conditions could support the rapid spread of any fires that ignite, which could quickly become difficult to control.”

Dry, windy conditions fueling recent fires

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Firefighters have been battling the wildfire at the border of New Jersey and New York all weekend.

CBS News New York

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The combination of dry and windy conditions have been fueling brush fires, like one that broke out last weekend in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park

It has also made it more difficult for the firefighters working to contain the Jennings Creek wildfire burning through 5,000 acres on the New York-New Jersey border near Greenwood Lake. 

“Outdoor burning is strongly discouraged. Be sure to properly extinguish or dispose of any potential ignition sources, including smoking materials such as cigarette butts,” the National Weather Service joint statement continued.   

Drought stretches into another week

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CBS News New York

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While the area received a little rainfall Sunday into Monday, it has been more than a month without a soaking rain, and drought conditions persist across the Northeast.

The winds will keep up Tuesday night, as temperatures go down to the 30s and 20s. Crisp sunshine will dominate Wednesday, with temperatures running even colder. Thankfully, the winds won’t be quite as strong, but do expect an elevated fire risk once again.

Thursday will likely be the coldest day of the week, with highs only in the 40s. While we expect more cloud cover that day, the wet weather will probably miss us to the south and west.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is scheduled to visit the site of the deadly Jennings Creek wildfire Tuesday and deliver remarks. Watch live around 1:15 p.m. on CBS News New York

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