How Much Will You Spend on School Supplies?

Students in Decatur and Atlanta are back in class, and kids in DeKalb and Fulton public schools will be in their seats Monday.

For many parents, these are days that include high-stakes trips to the store to help their children find the perfect backpack and school supplies. And let's not even talk about clothes.

The National Retail Federation projects that parents of children in grades K-12 will spend nearly $689 on their children's back-to-school needs, almost $85 more than last year.

All of this got us wondering about the school supply lists that parents are asked to fulfill.

Most of the lists look pretty straight forward. But then there's the DeKalb County teacher, who will remain nameless, who went beyond listing No. 2 pencils and crayons to specify Ticonderoga brand pencils and Crayola crayons.

To be fair, the Ticonderoga packages proclaim they are "The World's Best Pencil" and Crayola's crayons are made in America.

But some teachers are also asking parents of kindergarten students to kick in a package of photocopy paper. And items like anti-bacterial wipes are pretty common on school supply lists.

What do you think of your child's back-to-school supply list? Is it reasonable? Are there items that seem too expensive or not education related? Let us know what you think in the comments area below.

If you have not bought everything on your child's list, don't fret. The state of Georgia has revived its sales tax holiday for Aug. 10-11 and many back-to-school items will be tax free.

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