Heading back to school? Here's what supplies in Milwaukee area schools could cost you.

Parents are almost always looking to save money on school supplies, and 2024 is no different.

In doing their back-to-school shopping, parents often need to balance what their children really need from their supply lists with novelty items they want, and also take into consideration low prices v. a desire for convenience, according to DeLoitte's 2024 back-to-school survey .

"They are also trying to balance a cost-of-living squeeze with wanting to prioritize repadding their savings and enrolling their children in extracurricular activities," the survey said.

That back-to-school shopping has already started for 55% of families who responded to the National Retail Federation's annual back-to-school survey . Those families said they started their shopping in early July.

The Journal Sentinel looked at school supply lists from a Milwaukee Public Schools school and several suburban districts using app.teacherlists.com . A reporter selected three schools and chose supply lists for second-graders, fourth-graders and sixth-graders, then ran those lists through the "school list assist" feature at Target. Some items had to be exchanged for a similarly priced item if they weren't automatically listed. While Target assigns brands to some items, families may change that in the cart while they're shopping. Families may also opt to recycle supplies from previous years.

Second grade at Meadow View Elementary in Oconomowoc

23 items, $124.75, including tax

In this shopping list, the most expensive items were tennis shoes for $25.99, a kids' art smock for $18.59 and headphones for $14.99. Items for sale included a box of Crayola markers for $2.99, Five Star two-pocket plastic folders with prongs for $2.19 each, another similar pocket plastic folder in blue for $1.49 and a different brand of a two-pocket plastic folder on sale for 50 cents, a pair of scissors for $1.59, Crayola crayons for 50 cents and a two-pack of erasers for 49 cents.

Fourth grade at Brown Street Academy, Milwaukee

39 items, $232.90, including tax

The most expensive items on this shopping list were a JanSport backpack for $54.99 and gym shoes for $32.99. Items on sale included Panasonic lightweight over-the-ear wired headphones for $12.99, dry erase markers for $4.49, Crayola markers for $2.99, scissors on sale for $1.59, plastic folders on sale for $1.49 each, a compass and protractor set on sale for $1.99, a two-pack of glue sticks for $1 and a two-pack of erasers for 49 cents.

Sixth grade at South Milwaukee Middle School, South Milwaukee

26 items, $68.93, including tax

Standing out as most expensive in this list was a set of wired earbuds for $9.99 and a box of 32 Ziploc plastic gallon bags for $5.99. Items on sale included multicolored ink pens for $4.71, dry erase markers for $4.49, a yellow plastic pocket folder for $4.38, retractable gel pens for $3.82, a three-ring binder for $3.29, Crayola washable markers for $2.99, green and red two-pocket plastic folders for $2.19 each, a blue paper folder with prongs for $1.49, a six-pack of erasers for $1.49, a two-pack of Elmer's glue sticks for $1 and a 12-pack of Crayola colored pencils for 99 cents.

How do you find your child's school supply list?

To find out what your child's class requires for school supplies, start by visiting the website of the school district where your child attends. For example, if your child attends a Milwaukee Public Schools' school, visit https://mps.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/en/Families/Resources/Supply-Lists.htm .

Other places school supply lists can be found include websites such as app.teacherlists.com . Ideas of school supply costs can be examined at websites such as www.walmart.com/lists/back-to-school .

What if you need financial help with buying school supplies?

Families needing assistance buying school supplies have options available.

Milwaukee Public Schools conducts an annual back-to-school supply drive and partners with area businesses, faith-based communities and community members to collect school supplies. The partnering businesses either conduct the drives internally or reach out to the community to ask for donations, according to Tamara Martinsek, Milwaukee Public Schools' strategic partnerships and customer services volunteer service associate.

This year, for example, Germanfest is partnering with MPS offering a free ticket to anyone who donates school supplies to the MPS' school supply drive from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 27, at the Summerfest grounds' South Gate.

Other partners this year with MPS include, as of July 24, with more to come later:

• WISN/Salvation Army Annual phone bank
• Riverwest Area Sleepover for School Supplies
• Enerpac
• Wantable
• Brown & Brown
• AT&T
• Aurora Sinrise Club
• Auer Steel
• PFERD
• Social Surge
• National Business Furniture
• TundraLand
• AZZ Care Team
• Marking Services Inc
• The Crockett Family
• Elite Sports

Visit mps.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/en/Community/Partners/School-Supply-Drives/MPS-School-Supply-Drive.htm for more information on how to donate. Martinsek also said she can be reached at either martta2@milwaukee.k12.wi.us or 414-773-5823.

Other groups such as the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County's Backpack Coalition, which offer backpacks and school supplies to K-12 students in financial need, are also there to help. For more information, visit unitedwaygmwc.org/Backpack-Coalition .

Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com . Follow him on Twitter at @AlecJohnson12 .

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Heading back to school? Here's what supplies in Milwaukee area schools could cost you.