Local school district to provide supplies for their students

ROTTERDAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A new school year means new school supplies, which can add up quickly. Parents will spend hundreds of dollars on supplies in the next few weeks to get their kids ready. One local district is easing the burden by providing basic school supplies for all of their students.

Deborah Kavanaugh, an administrator with the Mohonasen School District explained, "It does add up and puts a lot of stress on people. You want to be thinking about school as a joyous time. Coming back to school, reuniting kids with friends and teachers."

That's why at Pinewood Intermediate School, and the rest of the Mohonasen district, the supplies have already been purchased and set out in every K-12 classroom.

Back to school shopping can cost parents anywhere from $100 to more than $500 depending on the grade level. Add in new shoes, clothes and a backpack, and the costs quickly add up. Kavanaugh added, "We have about a 50 percent poverty rate at Mohonasen."

Which makes the basic school supply bundles even more crucial. According to Kavanaugh, the district spent about $50 to $70 per student on supplies, money that was already included in this year's school budget.

"With inflation and the cost of groceries that has increased substantially, I think we are all feeling that burden," she said. "We want the focus to be on learning and instruction and take stress off of families."

So as the students get ready to say hello to a new school year, their supplies will be waiting at their desks leaving parents with one less thing to worry about. This is the second year Mohonasen has provided supplies. The Schenectady City School District will also provide their students with basic supplies this year.