My son is going into the 3rd grade & he has 3 different school supply lists PLUS each student is REQUIRED to pay a $25 "activity" fee! (the fee is supposed to cover special guests that come into the classroom to speak and in-school speakers, etc.) I will be spending well over $100 on all this stuff!
The school sends one list that is a general list for all 3rd graders to have. Then, the teacher sends a list with items that she wants specifically for her classroom. Also, my son is in the "gifted/Kindle" program & has a separate list for that!
The list that is really upsetting me is the teachers list. I think she's a little high-maintenance. These are just SOME of the items she has required:

--5 rolls of paper towels (in addition to the 2 rolls on the general 3rd grade list)
--a "big" pack of multi-colored copier paper
--Clorox brand disinfecting wipes
--2 packs of Avery brand page dividers
--a 100 count pack of Avery brand clear sheet protectors
--dry erase markers
--a bottle of Softsoap brand anti-bacterial soap with a pump AND 2 large 64 oz. refill bottle of Softsoap.
--3 boxes of Kleenex brand tissue
She is very brand specific and I tend to buy what is on sale or store brand to stay low on costs.
I have always felt that the school should provide ANY & ALL hygiene products, such as soap, paper towels & toilet paper. Isn't that what our taxes pay for?! I also feel that the school should provide all cleaning products needed to keep the classrooms properly cleaned & disinfected. It is absolutely ridiculous that I have to send Clorox wipes just because that is what the teacher prefers to clean with. If she prefers a certain brand/type of product to clean her classroom with, then I think she should purchase them herself, else be satisfied with what the school provides. And dry erase markers....once again, the teacher should buy her own markers with the budget she is allotted.
Did anyone else get ridiculously outrageous lists such as this & how do you feel about it?

The lists my DS has brought home the last two years have had two parts, one of required supplies like scissors, crayons, etc. and a second like a "wish list" with hand cleaner, tissue, etc. I had no problem buying what was on the wish lists those years.

Then this year, he got a list and so did my DD starting kindergarten that had all those that were on previous "wish lists" listed as required. I told DH I refuse to buy those type things. I have no problem buying them if they say they need them and please provide if possible, but to tell me they are required is going too far. Maybe I'm just taking my position too far but that's how I feel. Maybe after I talk to their teachers and see that they have a classroom wish list posted in their rooms, then I'll buy the stuff.

I do understand that school's budgets are severely strained and that teachers buy a lot of supplies out of their pockets. But to expect me to do it as a requirement is crazy. What are they gonna do, send my kids home until we provide those items? Like I said, ask me for them and I'll provide but demand them and they won't see the first thing.

And as far as brand specific, I don't heed to that either. They will get what I can afford/have a coupon for/is on sale.

Legally the only thing your child has to bring to school is himself/herself. I know that teachers don't get enough money, and I know that around here taxes goes to high schools (new football field) and not elementary schools. However, if she wants a certain brand so much then she can buy it. Send what you can and don't worry about the rest. It's not like they won't let your child attend school if they can't bring everything.

Also, I want to point out that at my child's school, they ask for twice as much as dd needs to make up for kids that can't afford it. Seeing as how we can only afford to pay for our child, I don't send extra.

I agree that does seem to be going a bit overboard. 7 rolls of paper towels? Yikes! My sons lists also include things like paper towels, baby wipes, and tissues but they only ask that each child bring 1 of each.

The majority of that list has items that I am pretty sure are for the teachers use. Seriously, how many dry erase markers does she expect to go through in one year??? FIVE rolls of paper towels? These are 3rd graders that we are talking about, not pre-school kids....They can't be THAT messy.
That much softsoap is crazy too.....
I could go on and on about that list. I would honestly, get what you feel your child needs and be done. There is no need for you to fork out the money on supplies for the teacher personal use.

__________________

I do agree that the list goes a little overboard, 5 rolls of paper towels and brand specific requests are ridiculous, who cares what brand it is.

I can say though, that if my students in the past did not bring paper towels (2 rolls), kleenex (2 boxes), copy paper (1 ream) etc then I would not have had any for the year. The school did not provide soap for the classroom sink (I always did), sponges (me again), cleaner besides one bottle of 409 (I preferred pine sol, so me again), more than 2 packs of dry erase markers or copy paper, paper towels and kleenex and I worked in a Catholic School. The 1 ream (regular sized pack) of copy paper I received from each child was my paper for the entire year, we were not supposed to get paper for classroom use from the main closet because the school couldn't afford it, and I was never allowed to use the colored paper. If I ran out before the end of the year (which always happened, 27 reams of paper is not enough), then guess who paid for more, me. I would send a note in the newsletter saying our paper situation and get a couple of parents bringing me a ream, but many feel they provided at the start of the year, so why should they in April. One year, a family brought me a whole box, I seriously almost cried I was so happy. I only received construction paper every other year and get a limited supply of tape and staples, when I ran out, they were gone, I was a tape hoarder
Over the years, I spent thousands of dollars on classroom supplies and could only claim $250/year on my taxes. I realize this is difficult for parents and I sympathize, but teachers are being put in the middle because if they don't get enough from the students in supplies, it falls on their shoulders to pick up the tab. At least in CA, school supply budgets are almost nonexistant.

ETA: as for the $25 fee, that will pay for any magazine subscription for the class or special supplies for projects (like pumpkins to carve at halloween) and holiday parties. My kids were asked to bring in $15 each and on a good year, about half the class would bring the fee. That money is turned into the office and that is the class "budget" for the year, if a teacher buys party supplies, he can turn in the receipt for reimbursement. When it's gone, she's not reimbursed anymore.

do not mind picking up things for the classroom esp cleaners etc
tho my kids both have had the "wish list : they put them on sticky notes
and we pick what we can and they post them again at conference times or ask for donations when they get los or run out etc so they can
hopefully get what they need almost all parent will get something
I have no issue getting things but again specific things (unless we know of allergies to things etc) I do not get brand names.

Hope that makes sense

__________________
Kelly mom to 3 great girls A Peanut, a monkey and a little burrito.

I agree that this particular teacher's list goes quite a bit overboard and the brand specific part is really annoying, but I have to second what was said about teachers paying for their own supplies. I had to purchase my own classroom rug (and vacuum it, because the custodians refused), tissues, cleaning supplies, soap, etc. We got $125 per year for extra materials in the classroom, and it went so fast you wouldn't believe it. Think about how many tissues you use in your home during the cold/flu season, and multiply that by 25 kids. It's amazing. I spent more of my own money than you can imagine, but my classroom and kids needed it. I know it's hard when taxes keep going up (mine do too), but in the classroom we are seeing less and less of this money.

That is a little excessive but........ I will say that more often than not.....The teachers have to pay for stuff like that out of pocket and it adds up. I think parents should help out if they can afford it. I know there are some schools in very poor areas that don't have the money to pitch in but I think its fair that parents pitch in some.

__________________
Mom of one kangaroo!

if a list like that came home with my kids i would send it right back...
perhaps they need taxes for cleaning supplies for all the schools in the area instead of a new football field?
a bit overboard with her wish list...where would she put it all? classrooms must be huge to store it all in.

our school last year wanted 3 boxes of tissues per kid to go to school...so i sent three each( with their names on it too)..so when january rolled around they sent notes home that they needed more...i went and checked...mine used one box each as their names were on the boxes..some parents also did this...( if they have colds the boxes sit on their desks) so we refused to supply them with more...others did though( mine each brought one box home each...not used in june).

they USE to want three pairs of sneakers per kid at our school.,.one for playing outside...one to put on BEFORE they went into the classroom and one just for gym...we all got together and said no...if they wanted all those shoes the school board would have to supply them( there is just over 300 kids at our school)...so we did not have to buy all those shoes afterall.

perhaps the school boards should look at their books and see where they need to step up and supply what they are suppose too. IMHO