Fed Up Fridays! Where Moms Go to Vent! - October 1st

This Week: Why is the first month of public school so expensive? 

It has not even been a full month of school here, yet I can’t believe how much money our family has already spent.  There were school supplies due the first week.  Packets for the first fundraiser and the school picture forms came home the next week.   Then there was a book order form the third week.  I won’t even get into the back to school clothes, PTA dues, etc. - it’s enough to make anyone feel fed up!

I’m a solution-oriented type of person, so I started to think about what particularly frustrated me and what could possibly help…

1. School Supplies:  Obviously schools are under-funded and kids need to bring their own supplies.  I don’t have a problem with that.  What irks me is when a mandatory name brand is listed next to the item.  My son’s list had several items followed by “BRAND X” ONLY in capital letters and underlined.  I trust that teachers know which brands are best, but we bought all of the requested items on my son’s list and they totaled almost $100. What if someone can’t afford the name brand/can only afford a generic version?  Why make them feel bad about themselves?  My proposed solution is that teachers list brand preferences, but leave it up to the parents to decide what they can personally afford, I mean, does it really matter?
    
2. Fundraising Initiatives: Once again, I realize that public school education is not truly free and I believe that everyone should contribute to their school…according to their ability.  However, I know that I’m not the only parent who is tired of feeling pressured to participate in so many different types of fundraisers.  I just don’t feel comfortable asking family and friends to buy over-priced, unnecessary products - especially in this economy.  In fact, I have a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy with my close friends with school-aged children.  (Don’t ask me to buy your kid’s stuff and I won’t tell you about the stuff that my kid is selling either!)  I have  a few more suggestions:
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4. 1. Have a direct donation option where parents can just donate directly to the school/cut out the middle men.  (Some schools already have this option.)
5. 2. Give parents more options.  For instance, in some schools the kids can’t buy the class photo unless they buy a larger package.  That is ridiculous.  Besides, most of us still have a gazillion pictures in our homes from last year’s photo sales!
6. 3. Spread out the fundraising initiatives.  Everything does not have to be sent home in the first month of school.  Really.
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What is your take?  Am I over-thinking everything…or does back to school finances make you feel fed up also?