A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low 63F. SW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph..

A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low 63F. SW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph.

Former Idaho Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger will not be acquitted or granted a new trial, 4th District Judge Michael Reardon ruled Thursday, and he will be sentenced for his rape conviction next week.

Last year, we tried a trial run of running all of the high school football previews in one nice, tidy special section that we hoped would be a keepsake for players, parents, grandparents, schools and all of our subscribers.

JEERS ... to Idaho Republican Party Chairwoman Dorothy Moon.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The cost of basic school supplies was higher than ever as parents prepared to send their children back to school this month.

Costs spiked alongside rising rates of consumer inflation nationwide. As of July, consumer inflation had increased 8.5% in 12 months. The figure marked a marginal decline from the 9.1% increase recorded in June, the largest inflation spike in more than 40 years.

This year, the absence of COVID-19 stimulus checks and advances on child tax credits further exacerbated the strain on families. A recent survey from Morning Consult found that just 36% of surveyed U.S. parents say they could afford their children’s back to school shopping, down from 52% last year.

“The steep drop off between 2021 and 2022 is really, really stark,” said Claire Tassin, a retail and e-commerce analyst at Morning Consult. “This is more dramatic than I’ve ever seen.”

As the 2022-23 school year approached, support networks have sprung up across the nation to provide free school supplies to parents facing the “strain and stress” that Tassin said is associated with the peak of the back-to-school shopping period.

According to Tassin, the back-to-school shopping period is uniquely challenging because it requires parents to make a host of purchases at once, creating a concentrated period of high spending.

On top of new clothes for the school year, Tassin said that most families make a round of purchases to complete the list of required supplies sent out by teachers at the beginning of the year.

For the past 17 years, Volunteers of America has organized the Operation Backpack program, which provides backpacks full of school supplies to Sacramento-area families experiencing homelessness or on the verge of homelessness.

Parents also often shoulder the cost of classroom supplies like hand-sanitizer and tissues, which teachers who are expected to pay for them out of pocket might ask families to contribute.

The cost of school supplies can quickly become a burden for families, according to Northern California VOA director of development Ana Bankert.

“I have two little ones going into elementary school this year,” she said. “Just looking at how much I’ll be spending just on supplies for the two of them — I’m looking at anywhere from $120 to $140. This is elementary school, and just the supplies.”

Back-to-school shopping, Tassin explained, is viewed by most parents as “essential spending,” so the amount that families spend on school supplies remains unchanged regardless of whether or not they can afford it.

“No matter if you feel like you can or cannot afford back-to-school shopping, the spending plans are the same,” Tassin said. “ For wealthier people who are able to absorb inflationary prices, it’s not so much of an issue. For those who are either concerned, or just flat out saying they can’t afford it, where is that money coming from?”

Families might be more likely to draw from savings accounts or charge credit cards to make major back-to-school purchases, Tassin said.

According to Bankert, the financial strain on families also creates a demand for volunteer services like Operation Backpack and other community-based organizations.

Shopping for school supplies in particular, Bankert said, could have an emotional component for families hit hard by the effects of inflation. The volunteers’ goal is to make sure kids in need can start the schoolyear off right and on an equal footing with peers.

“We started this to help our kids in our shelters feel good about themselves and excited about the school year,” she said.

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