LAND O' LAKES, Fla. — With the new school year around the corner, parents and teachers across Hillsborough and Pasco Counties are picking up everything from notebooks and planners to pencils and crayons — but many are finding some items carry a higher price tag than in years past.
"Things are a lot more expensive," Lauren Cote, a mother of three, said.
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Cote said rising costs are forcing her family to cut back.
"You're definitely not going out and doing as many activities as you might have done," Cote said.
Other parents say they are trying to stretch their budgets by hunting for deals, but some items are harder to find at a discount.
"I think we all feel the pinch a little bit this year," Rebecca Tylka, a parent, said. "You shop the specials, but there's some items that just seem to be higher this year than they have been in the past."
Tylka said she worries teachers may feel the impact most.
"I feel like the teachers are the ones who are going to miss out, because to me, that's like the Clorox wipes, the dry erase markers," Tylka said.
Some parents are getting creative to keep costs down. Carla Cole, a mother of two, said her family started the shopping process at home before heading to any store.
"I made my children keep what they had left over from the year before, so we first shopped at home to make sure that we didn't buy additional, and then we made a list of all of the things that were necessary," Cole said.
Economists say inflation continues to play a role, and global factors — including tariffs and the war in Iran — are also impacting the cost of consumer goods.
"Different research groups have found that 90-96% of the tariffs are taxes on domestic consumers, that is us. We're paying them in the form of higher prices, so you're gonna see that in everything you do, including back-to-school spending," Aaron Wood, associate professor of economics at the University of Tampa, said.
For families facing the greatest financial need, Pasco County's annual Two Good Soles campaign is working to help fill the gap. The drive collects new shoes and socks for students in need.
"We've received letters and testimonies from students and social workers, over the years of how much it really impacts the students' lives, having decent footwear, clean socks and brand new shoes to wear to school. It just changes their lives," Nicole O'Neill, a support services specialist with Pasco County government, said.
Since the drive began in 2016, the county says more than 24,000 pairs of shoes and 58,000 pairs of socks have been donated to Pasco students. This year, organizers say there is an especially great need for adult-size athletic shoes in sizes 10 through 13.
The campaign is underway and ends October 16, 2026. There are collection boxes all across the county. For more information on how to donate, you can visit the county's website here.
For tips on how to save money on back-to-school shopping, click here.
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