I know many parents are freaking out at the prospect of buying school supplies for their kids... believe me, I have been there, done that! And, no, I never received $200 per child for school supplies from the state.
But for those parents of kids entering high school, you may be surprised and shocked to learn that a $100 calculator is on your child's list of required supplies. The TI-183 (or similar version) manufactured by Texas Instruments is fast becoming a required item and at @ $100 a pop, this is ticking a lot of parents off.
RELAX...
While it may be required, by the teacher, most states require the SCHOOL to provide them for the student.
For example:
from NYS :
Charging Students for Calculators
The Department has recently received numerous questions regarding the charging of students for calculators. School districts can require students to provide their own student “supplies.” Supplies are defined as something which is consumed in use, loses its appearance and shape in use, is expendable, and is inexpensive. Examples include pencils, pens, paper, etc. Calculators do not fall into this category and must be considered like classroom teaching materials for which school districts are authorized to levy a tax. The Department requires the use of calculators for intermediate and high school level mathematics and science assessments. To the extent that calculators are a necessary part of the educational program, the school district must provide them. Under no circumstances should students be charged for a calculator or otherwise required to purchase one in order to participate in an educational program. School districts may purchase, and must still provide calculators, even if operating under a contingent budget if the calculators are required for participation in the educational program.
from US Dept of Education
- supplies
- Supplies are items that are consumed, wear out, or deteriorate through use, or items that lose their identity through fabrication or incorporation into different or more complex units or substances. These include expenditures for general supplies; paper and other materials required for printing and copying; and books, periodicals, and reference materials.
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Also from the US Dept of Education
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- The calculator policy has remained the same for grades 4 (four-function) and 8 (scientific) in 2005. For grade 12 in 2005, students were permitted to bring whatever calculator (graphing or scientific) they use in the classroom to the assessment; students who did not bring a calculator were provided with a scientific calculator.
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- For more information check with your state education department
