Price-tag for 2015 Back-to-School Supply Lists Now Over $70

Health and cleaning supplies required as often as learning tools

Wrentham, Mass. – The numbers are in: the cost of the average elementary back-to-school supply list in 2015 is $70.93. According to TeacherLists, the smarter way to manage, share and find school supply lists, one of the factors driving the increase in back-to-school spending is the addition of health and cleaning supplies like tissues and hand sanitizer to lists traditionally filled with pens, glue sticks and notebooks.

With school budgets tighter than ever and teachers being asked to do more with less, parents are being called on to contribute more during the back-to-school season. Per Teacherlists, school supply lists increasingly include non-learning supplies alongside education tools.
To view the full news release, visit www.teacherlists.com.

Featured

  • Minnesota District Converts Middle School into Community Hub

    White Bear Lake Area Schools in White Bear Lake, Minn., recently announced the end of a major renovation project that converted a former middle school into a new centralized district and community hub, according to a news release.

  • Designing Third Spaces That Do What AI Can't

    In 2026, education is evolving faster than ever. With AI reshaping everything from lesson planning to personalized instruction, schools and universities are turning their attention to what AI can’t replicate: spaces that foster collaboration, community, and creativity.

  • Nashville Elementary School Receives LEED Gold Certification

    Goodlettsville Elementary School, part of Metro Nashville Public Schools in Nashville, Tenn., recently achieved LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), according to a news release. The 81,750-square-foot school opened in 2023 and was designed by Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC).

  • GeoCam and UCLA: Modernizing Campus Accessibility Mapping

    In early 2025, UCLA partnered with GeoCam to capture and modernize its pedestrian infrastructure data. The goal was ambitious but clear: to produce a high-accuracy, imagery-backed digital map of every sidewalk, pathway, ramp, and ADA-related feature on UCLA’s 419-acre campus.