Expect A Big Jump In Your Back-to-School Costs This Year

As families throughout Minnesota prepare for the new school year, several things are likely to happen: kids will be bummed that school is starting again, parents might be a little happy, and sticker shock will set in when we start buying back-to-school supplies.

That can make things very tough on families throughout Minnesota and beyond, as households are already stretched by higher grocery bills, gas prices, and everyday living costs.

You may be wondering just how much extra to budget for those back-to-school costs, and according to a new report, it may be more than you expected.

Just How Much More Are We Talking?

New analysis from a pair of economic think tanks reportedly finds that the 2026-2027 school year will cost families almost $4,000 per child, which is nearly 11% more than last year.

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A typical basket of school supplies costs almost 8% more, and the usual lunch staples are up close to 11% as well. That's real money on top of a grocery cart that already stings.

Where the Increases Hit Hardest

The steepest jumps show up in the small stuff that adds up fast:

• Lunchboxes: +27%
• Notebooks: +23%
• Index cards: +22%
• Sandwich bread: +22%
• Apple juice: +20%
• Animal crackers: +16%
• Lunchmeat: +12%

There is, however, some good news for Minnesota shoppers hunting a deal. Retailers are fighting back on price, and last year one major chain actually rolled back its back-to-school costs, with notebooks starting around 35 cents and dozens of essentials under five bucks. However, families can't count on things like that to happen every year.

Families Are Stretching, and Borrowing, to Keep Up

The squeeze is real enough that many parents are taking on debt to cover it. Nearly half of parents — 45% — say they plan to borrow just to afford back-to-school shopping this year, according to survey data, choosing a little debt over telling their kids no.

Others are simply trimming elsewhere. Roughly half of all parents are reportedly cutting back on other household expenses to make room for pencils, folders, and lunch money.

From the Twin Cities to the Iron Range, it's the same math playing out at kitchen tables across the state, and across the border in Wisconsin and everywhere in the United States.

Smart Shopping Still Beats the Sticker Shock

None of this makes the first bell any less inevitable, but a few habits can soften the blow: buy the durable stuff — backpacks, lunchboxes — to last more than one year, watch for loss-leader deals, and lean on local discount options when they pop up.

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The price of a fresh school year, but a sharp-eyed Minnesota parent can still send a kid back to class ready to learn without breaking the budget.