By KAITLYN ALANIS

Staff writer

As beach towels turn to backpacks, the cost of starting a new school year does not come cheap.

To ensure students’ backpacks are filled with the proper supplies on the first day of class, Hillsboro Elementary School provides a list of required supplies for both individual and classroom use, which range from $31.95 to $50.05 for the different grade levels when shopping at a local retailer.

The list, which includes supplies as specific as a certain brand and color, is to help parents with shopping and to help students succeed in the classroom, Hillsboro Elementary School principal Evan Yoder said.

“The main reason our list is specific is our elementary staff have been going on a long time and they know through experience what works best and what doesn’t work very well,” he said. “They know if they get the wrong glue it won’t do what it’s supposed to do or they’ll bring in a huge 5-gallon bottle of it.

“And they know a certain brand of scissors might cut paper best and fit in a child’s hand better than another brand. We have a lot of experienced staff, so they just don’t want these supplies wasted or causing frustration for the child.”

Even with the detailed line-item list, Yoder said he knows some students will still bring in supplies that do not meet the standards that teachers hope to see.

“That doesn’t mean we’ll get all that stuff in though, because some people will just bring in similar supplies lying around at home,” he said. “It’s in the parent’s court to bring in those supplies.”

If a student cannot afford supplies, Yoder said families should call the school because school counselors are prepared to help.

Below are sample required supply lists for kindergarten, third, and sixth through eighth grade with prices for each item, according to listed prices at the local retailer.

Lists for all grade levels are available online at http://usd410.net/ under the district information tab. Under enrollment, lists are the second line down. Lists can also be found at Hillsboro’s Dollar General and at Walmart in McPherson and Newton.

Kindergarten

Head phones (1 set) — no earbuds: $5

School bag: $5

No. 2 pencils (2 doz - Ticonderoga brand preferred): $2.75/10

1 large eraser: $1

Elmer’s glue (4 oz): $1

12 Elmer’s glue sticks: $6/13

1 box of 25 regular Crayola crayons: $0.50

4 black wide dry erase markers: $5.20

School box (standard size): $1

2 large boxes of tissues: $4.50

Old t-shirt for painting: -

Extra change of clothes: -

Total: $31.95

Third Grade

Head phones (1 set) — no earbuds: $5

24 No. 2 pencils preferred (no mechanical or Eversharps): $1.50

8 blue or black dry erase markers: $10.40

3 glue sticks: $1.50

1 small bottle of Elmer’s glue: $1

Eraser: $1

Sharp, pointed scissors: $1.50

Colored pencils: $1

1 box of 24 ct. Crayons: $0.50

Composition notebook (any color): $0.50

School box and pencil bag: $2

3 plastic two-pocket folders (1 blue, 1 orange, 1 red): $3

Wide-lined notebook paper: $0.75 for 125 sheets

1 wide-lined spiral notebook: $1

1 pkg. 3x5 ruled index cards: $0.50

Large manila envelope for notebook paper: $1.65

2 large boxes of tissue: $4.50

Water bottle with lid: $5

Coins: 30 pennies, 10 nickels, 10 dimes, 10 quarters: $4.30

Apron or art shirt: -

Wash cloth-sized rag (for dry erase marker boards): -

Total: $46.60

Sixth-Eighth Grade

2-3 glue sticks: $1.50

Blue or black ballpoint pen, red ballpoint pen: $1.65

Colored pencils - Crayola 24s: $0.50

Pencils, pencil pouch: $2

Dry erase markers (3 broad tip, 3 thin tip): $6.70

Erasers: $2

Wide-lined loose leaf notebook paper: $0.75

Ruler-metric and standard: $0.50

Scissors: $1.50

3x5 ruled notecards: $0.50

Large box tissues (bring to office): $2.25

Expandable 7 subject organizer/7 pocket file: $3.50

Scientific calculator - needs square root, %, tangent, y*: -

Total: $23.35