School supplies are getting more expensive with inflation

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Thursday, Aug. 10.

It’s back-to-school season for thousands across California. As the school year begins, my colleagues Carly Olson and Emerson Drewes found inflation rates have hit the school supply shelves.

Families with children in elementary, middle, and high schools are spending an average of $890.07 this year on back-to-school items, such as accessories, electronics, and clothing.

At the same time, prices for writing tools and supplies — including crayons, highlighters, pens, and pencils — have increased an average of 18.5% between August 2022 and June 2023. According to data provided to The Times by market analytics firm NielsenIQ, the cost of planners, binders and folders increased by an average of 48.5% in that same period. The price of “paper and forms” for school and office has jumped 80%.

On top of school supplies, families are finding that the cost of goods such as gas are bleeding into the costs for education.

Jaavonda Dartis, a phone operator for the Beverly Hilton, told me in June she sometimes pays bills late in order to afford extracurriculars for her 7-year-old daughter.

“I have to spend $50 every three days on gas,” said Dartis. Rent for her also went up from $864 to $1,080 per month since she moved to Los Angeles.

“Just tutoring alone. I’m spending like $180 a week. It’s so expensive out here,” she said.

Teachers flock to social media to solicit the help of strangers

A classroom has bare walls: it’s up to the teachers to fill them.

More than 90% of teachers spend their money out of pocket on school supplies and other items for their classrooms. A recent survey by My eLearning World found that teachers were set to spend more than $820 on supplies for the 2022-23 school year.

One phenomenon that Carly observed is teachers and other school staff using social media to help raise awareness of their classroom supply shortage.

Teachers such as Sarah Stair have compiled spreadsheets filled with as many as 20,000 Amazon wishlists for classroom essentials. This week, Stair hopped on an Instagram Live to pick teachers in need and shop their wishlists with Venmo funds gathered for her #CleartheList campaign.

“She’s a counselor,” said Stair, referencing a selected recipient during the Wednesday broadcast. “They are so central to what we do. And I’ve had so many of them message me and be like, ‘Is it OK if I joined the list?’ And I’m like, yes, absolutely it is because I could not do my job without them.”

Veronica Bane, a 12th-grade English teacher based in East Los Angeles, told me that although she does receive funds from her school, she often exceeds the allotted amount. In her 13 years of teaching, she has sought the help of friends and family through social media to round out her classroom needs. Highlighters, expo markers and erasers go fast.

“I do feel awkward every year having to ask because I know people gave last year for things, but my job kind of doesn’t stop needing stuff from year to year,” Bane said.

In the past, she’s been able to go to Staples or Target and find the deals she wants. Now, she has to do a bit more deal-hunting on Amazon and take advantage of Prime days to round out her wishlist.

Building an inclusive space for students

Known as the “school-supply gap,” students who live below the poverty line and may not be able to afford school supplies are at a further disadvantage in social and emotional learning.

Supplying these small items in the classroom is not only an essential day-to-day, it’s a way to ensure an equitable and inclusive experience for students, teachers told me.

“I want kids to have access to books that are windows and mirrors,” Bane said about building out her classroom library.

It goes beyond books. In addition to pencils and notebooks, she keeps a small cabinet filled with snacks, deodorant and menstrual products for students who need them. Especially for communities dealing with significant need, Bane says, wishlists and generosity from strangers becomes their “lifeblood.” One in 5 people in California deal with food insecurity.

“If you’re going to feel productive in this class, you need to have the tools that you need to either cope or deal with whatever you need to deal with,” Bane said.

Although teachers shouldn’t have to beg friends and family and strangers for these needs, classrooms have become the front lines. Bane said she’s lucky to have help, as she knows many teachers who may not be married with a partner to rely on or have not yet received adequate pay.

“We don’t have systemic support for education across the board,” Bane said.

And now, here’s what’s happening across California from Ryan Fonseca:

Note: Some of the sites we link to may limit the number of stories you can access without subscribing.

L.A. STORIES

L.A. County supervisors are proposing a $25 minimum wage for workers at hotels and theme parks in unincorporated county areas, with a bump up to $30 an hour when the Olympics come to L.A. in 2028. The motion would apply to Universal Studios Hollywood and Six Flags Magic Mountain, along with workers at hotels with more than 60 rooms. Los Angeles Times

A former LAPD commander fired after she was caught drunk in an unmarked police car with a male subordinate is suing the department, alleging a double standard in which her male peers regularly got away with misconduct. The woman requested internal records on dozens of senior male officers’ history of allegedly egregious behavior and names multiple names in her court motion. Los Angeles Times

A battle between tenants at a Chinatown apartment building and the property’s owner escalated over the weekend, as the owner issued three-day notices for renters to pay or leave. The property had been under a 30-year affordability covenant, but that expired and some tenants saw their rents triple in recent years. L.A. city leaders made moves to acquire the building, but progress has been stalled as the owner is not interested in selling. LAist

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

SAG-AFTRA members join the Writers Guild of America on the picket line outside Netflix in Los Angeles on July 14, 2023.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

As the historic Hollywood strikes rage on, where does Gov. Gavin Newsom stand? In a difficult place. “California’s top politician rarely shies from the spotlight,” Times reporter Taryn Luna writes, “but the fight between his union allies and the studio executives who are among his most generous donors puts Newsom in a potentially perilous spot.” Los Angeles Times

Sen. Dianne Feinstein was briefly hospitalized after what her office called a “minor fall” at her San Francisco home Tuesday. The 90-year-old senator reportedly did not suffer any injuries but was taken to the hospital as a precaution. Los Angeles Times

California lawmakers’ attempts to make social media platforms safer for young people mostly stalled in the past. But a new slate of bills before the state Legislature could bring more regulations, amid strong opposition from massive tech giants. Los Angeles Times

A federal court order was supposed to protect unhoused people in Sacramento from being cleared out of camps during a dangerous heat wave. But the city has violated that order at least twice in the last week, which officials called “unintentional oversights.” Los Angeles Times

HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT

With COVID cases ticking up this summer, is it time to bring back the masks? My colleague Rong-Gong Lin II notes: “Now might be a good time to mask up ahead of the big event, and at the very least, in the highest-risk situations, such as in a crowded room or on public transit.” Los Angeles Times

A fire aircraft circles the Bunnie Fire in San Diego.

(Cal Fire)

Thousands of residents in San Diego County were ordered to evacuate after a brush fire broke out and quickly grew to about 184 acres Wednesday. By Wednesday night, the evacuation order and warning were lifted, according to the Sheriff’s Department. No injuries or structural damage were reported. Los Angeles Times

California’s wet winter could be followed by another one, forecasters warn, prompting new action from state leaders. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order this month in an effort to shore up levees and other flood control measures that failed when weakened by epic rainfall. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Hoping to catch a wave this summer? Dive into our guide to SoCal surf spots, with beaches that cater to every kind of surfer. Los Angeles Times

Before heading to a galaxy far, far away, George Lucas made a beloved film much closer to home, set in Modesto and inspired by his youth there. As “American Graffiti” turns 50, buckle up for this oral history of “the quintessential hot rod movie.” Los Angeles Times

AND FINALLY

Speaking of George Lucas, today’s California landmark might remind you of a certain sluggish “Star Wars” villain. At least, that’s what Laguna Niguel resident Paul Ventura saw during a hike in Laguna Coast Wilderness Park Laguna Beach.

This might just be a rock to the untrained eye, but to Paul, it resembles “Star Wars” gangster Jabba the Hutt, as seen during a hike at Laguna Coast Wilderness Park in Laguna Beach.

(Paul Ventura)

Paul writes:

What are California’s essential landmarks? Fill out this form to send us your photos of a special spot in California — natural or human-made. Tell us why it’s interesting and what makes it a symbol of life in the Golden State. Please be sure to include only photos taken directly by you. Your submission could be featured in a future edition of the newsletter.

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