What do you pay for at your public school?

I think the supplies are pooled, at least for the lower grades. I try to send extras when possible. Not sure about MS/HS. There are some organizations that take donations and fill backpacks with supplies for foster kids, needy kids, etc.

I'm sure the teachers have to fill in gaps as needed. That’s probably okay when there are only a few kids who need help, but what about in really disadvantaged communities? You guys can’t do it all.

While I agree with everything you said on principle, there never seems to be enough money to go around in many districts.  The fact that each state funds their schools differently/gives different amounts of funding to school districts is also not helping the problem - especially as districts in poorer areas and/or Title One school seem to get less funding from property taxes and have parents able to contribute the least amount to their education.

In my district and the district my kids attend thankfully there are super basic supplies provided for students (ie-crayons/some pencils/glue/paper/ scissors), but not really extras beyond that.  For example; I have some guided reading books in my room that were there before I moved into the district 6 years ago, but I haven't gotten new books since I've been there.  Research is finding that decodable readers are more effective for the lowest level and struggling readers to learn to read - which is who I teach - but I don't have them in my classroom provided by the district.  I've bought some printable ones online and found a few printable free ones online that I've been using.  I've also bought a few single copies to send home so they can practice and show their parents their progress, but I don't really have enough for the variety of levels and number of students I see each day.  I'd love to buy more, but was hit with some home repair and car repair bills this summer - plus will have a large book/supply/tuition bill coming due soon for my child.  My classroom library is all comprised of books I've brought in from my kids/bought myself.  My principal is awesome/super supportive, but can only give the money that the district has to give.

My kids have attended six different public elementary schools in our city (long story) and they have varied *wildly.* At the more affluent ones, the expected annual donation to the school is $500/child. At those schools, you also generally pay $60-100 for a supply box per child. A lot of school activities require a participation fee, usually for supplies or event admissions. At the lower-income schools, we haven't been asked for money for anything.

At the middle and high school levels, all extracurricular stuff have required various levels of $ for participation, but the schools have not had the same donation demand (it is more of a genuine ask).

Lunch ( duh ) although I’m all for all students getting lunch included

Chrome book insurance $35 ish I think
Extra curricular activities ( lots of money for bands - but fees were reduced for low income families AND there always had ways to earn it without spending out of pocket )
Band instrument ( although there are ways around that)
SAT fee ( but the SAT was optional and not during school )
*Graduation cap & gown that had to be returned that same day- I really hated that there was a fee for this I mean literally everything else had always been provided but I’ve never heard of anyone missing graduation because of the fee, I just objected on principle. I mean yeah we paid it but it annoyed the stuffing out of me.

Bussing $0
Books $0
Science lab fees $0
PSAT fee $0 given during school
AP test fees $0
Art class required supply fee $0 ( but mine spent money on extras )
Wood shop required supply fee $0 ( but mine had to get special wood )

Very very few required things have a cost here.

150 for middle school. 400 for high school. Waiver if low income...so unfair to charge for public school.

My experience here in the UK is

Primary school, age 4 to 11, all supplies made available by the school, pens, papers, paints, glue sticks, library books etc etc. The only thing we had to pay for were school trips. Where the trip was a chance to play sports at the nearest big school or visit a local historical site, often a group of mums drove the class to the location. All drivers passed an insurance and police check. We're talking trips less than 15 miles, not cost effective to hire a bus.
The school I was involved with organised a week away, Monday to Friday, for the final two years groups, age 10/11. One year it was animal based, the second year adventure based. In our school, part of the pupil premium funding was kept aside to pay for children where money was an issue. No kid was left out because of a lack of money.

We had a PTA and we raised funds for a "nice to have" list that the headteacher put together with his staff.

Secondary school ages 11-16, supplies made available by school. I think we had to buy a calculator and it was optional to buy revision aids.

A level college, ages 16-18, first time I had to buy school books and make a contribution to photocopying.

For primary and secondary school children, the government make available additional funding called pupil premium to help disadvantaged children. For example, a child who is entitled to free school meals would be eligible for pupil premium funding. It is paid to the school and they can use the money to benefit that child but not exclusively. They can pool all the funding and pay for a dedicated teacher or other resources.



www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium/pupil-premium

Yes, I realize teachers are covering the gap. It's why I donate to our school's classrooms. Why I donate to teachers in our area in other schools. Why I donate to Pea's teacher wish lists. Why I donate to to teacher wish lists from other places I have lived. I realize it's unfair and should not be required of teachers to cover the gap. But I'm saying, when they ask for 48 pencils per child, 12 glue sticks per child, 2 boxes of markers per child, 4 boxes of crayons per child, and they stopped asking for scissors because they already had drawers full - and then when we go on back to school night and dump our 48 or more pencils in a bin of hundreds of other pencils, there's pencils. When we dump our 12 glue sticks in a bin with hundreds of other glue sticks, there's glue. And the teachers my kid has had in past years put out another request for items the classroom is running low on with the first semester conference info. Parents and guardians sign up to fill those slots. I also realize that kids are hard on supplies - or at least mine I know is. But I also don't think he's using up 48 pencils himself a year. I also realize the area I live in and that the majority of the families in the area aren't struggling. It's why I try to find a couple of teachers to support through our local "Adopt A Teacher" group who are working in low income schools and buy them basics to support their classroom like pencils, crayons, glue, etc. as they dictate their needs from their wish lists.

I worked in education for a time and have a degree in English Education. I remember running out of copy paper for the whole school on day 3 of the year. It's unfair, unnecessary, and shouldn't be happening. I was right out of college and had zero money. Hadn't even been paid yet for teaching (I had another night job to make ends meet). I couldn't afford to go buy paper to copy off worksheets or guides for my students.

Reading this back I sound defensive. I apologize for that. I'm just trying to share more of my story.

I’m just going to drop the information here that if you live in a state that wants to fund charters and private schools under the guise of “school choice,” you will soon be paying a lot more to attend that public school.

People don’t think through the fact that if a public elementary school has 20 kids in K-6 opt out and take their voucher money elsewhere, the school can’t just contract its budget by a similar amount. We still need to the same number of teachers. We still have the same costs to keep the building open. We just now have less money to do all that with. The difference will be made up in fees for the kids who remain - there’s no way around it, unless you want the quality of public school offerings to degrade.

The NY free lunch expired, so we have to pay for school lunches again after them being free for a few years.

My kids aren't in sports, so I don't know if there are any fees for that. We do have to pay for school supplies.

Every child is issued a Chromebook. I had to pay for a broken screen last year because my son dropped his in the first few weeks. I paid the bill because I can, but wrote a long letter along with my payment about how they are setting the kids up for failure making them carry all their books & the Chromebook but not allowing backpacks in school. DS said when he was getting his fixed, there was a whole line of kids with broken screens. Not sure if it was related to my letter, but backpacks were allowed the following week.

Unfortunately, the kids were supposed to bring their Chromebooks home over the summer. The same child "left his in homeroom" and nobody can find it yet. So, I'll probably end up paying for a replacement Chromebook. 

Texas here - we have to start paying for lunches again and that's the only thing I pay for my son's elementary school. He's issued an Ipad instead of a Chromebook and most of their afterschool clubs are subsidized by local grants and organizations.

For my daughters middle school - Last year I paid around $400 for band (fees, rentals, trips, etc.), $20 for her dance uniforms, and $20 for her NISD dues. Her school requires uniforms and athletics and we have to pay for those. They are issued Chromebooks, but they are awful, so she uses her personal laptop for most of her schoolwork.