A Cranberry Township grandfather was browsing through Walmart late last fall when he spotted a bin filled with 24-count boxes of Crayola crayons priced at 25 cents each.

He bought 30 boxes, planning to send some to his granddaughter’s first-grade classroom.

“She told me that some of the kids in her class needed to borrow her crayons because theirs were missing or broken,” said the grandfather, who asked not to be identified.

The next day, his granddaughter went to school with 24 boxes of crayons in her backpack — one for each child in her class.

“I figured the kids needed new crayons by then,” he said.

Many local school districts publish school supply lists on their websites, particularly for elementary and some middle school grades. High school students are often told to wait until classes begin, when individual teachers explain what supplies they will need, such as graphing calculators.

Elementary schools most often request crayons, pencils, dry-erase markers, glue sticks, scissors, notebooks, tissues and paper towels that are relatively inexpensive, particularly during summer promotions. But the complete back-to-school list — multiplied by several children and combined with clothing, shoes, backpacks and technology — can place real pressure on a family’s budget.

Like the crayons worn down or broken by spring, many supplies must be replenished throughout the school year. Back-to-school shopping can therefore feel costly, even when individual items sell for less than $1.

Families with children in kindergarten through 12th grade will spend an average of $146.45 on school supplies this year and $863.86 overall on clothing, shoes, supplies and electronics, according to the National Retail Federation.

“Back-to-school shopping encompasses new everything,” said Sherri Mack, dean of Butler County Community College’s Business & Information Technology division. “From backpacks to clothing to shoes to supplies, headphones and technology, paying for it all at once is like having a Christmas bill in August.”

Mack said clothing and technology are often the biggest contributors to the total expense.

Name-brand clothing and shoes generally carry higher prices, she said, while the cost of imported items, including headphones and other technology accessories, may be affected by tariffs and supply-chain disruptions.

She encouraged families to begin shopping early, compare prices and take advantage of sales rather than purchasing everything during one trip.

“Although the regular price of supplies has increased because of inflation, looking for sales and buying multiples at the sale price will save money later on,” Mack said.

That strategy can be particularly helpful for basic supplies that children are likely to use up, lose or need to replace.

“If your child needs one box of crayons, and crayons are on sale for 50 cents a box now, buy two or three boxes to get your child through the school year,” Mack said.

For clothing and shoes, Mack suggested setting a firm dollar limit and involving children in decisions about how the money will be spent. A child might be permitted to select one name-brand item while the family chooses less expensive alternatives for the rest.

“Budgeting and the value of money is an incredibly important lesson — a lesson in choices,” she said.

For parents purchasing supplies for more than one child, however, even careful choices and sale prices may not eliminate the strain. Their experiences show how quickly a collection of relatively small purchases can become a substantial household expense.

Kylie Salkeld, a mother of three who teaches preschool and serves as president of the Summit Elementary Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) in Butler Area School District, is shopping this summer for a fifth-grader, a second grader and a preschooler.

She estimates that basic supplies, a backpack and a lunchbox cost about $60 per child. The total can rise to $75 or $80 when families buy extras or children select additional items.

“Times are tough, and school supplies are not cheap anymore,” she said. “I can definitely see parents having difficulty, especially if they have multiple children.”

Although shopping alone for bargains might be less expensive, Salkeld takes her children along to choose their backpacks and folders.

“I agree that I would probably spend less money, but it is nice to see their eyes light up.”

“Their personalities come out in their school supplies,” she said. “My oldest chose a blue folder, while my youngest chose one with princesses on it.”

Because Salkeld expects pencils, crayons, glue sticks and folders to run out or become damaged in upcoming months, she buys extras while summer back-to-school promotions are underway.

“I buy bulk packages and keep extra school supplies in a cupboard at home,” Salkeld said. “When they say, ‘Mom, my folder ripped’ or ‘My crayons are broken,’ I already have replacements.”

Supplies are only one portion of the bill. She expects to spend about another $100 per child on clothing and shoes.

Salkeld recommends buying elementary school supplies in one trip while seasonal sales are underway, while spreading clothing and shoe purchases over several weeks.

“You can decide to spend $20 now and another $20 later,” she said. “Breaking it up helps.”

For some families, however, even careful budgeting is not enough.

School leaders emphasized that classroom supply lists are suggestions, not requirements. Families who cannot afford every item are encouraged to contact the school, where extra supplies are available for students who need them.

“If a student can’t bring the listed supplies, we certainly make sure they have what they need,” said Todd Lape, Mars Area Elementary School principal.

Teachers also buy extra supplies, and community organizations conduct backpack and clothing drives for families in need.

At Summit Elementary, the PTO stocks and operates a school store where children can buy folders, pencils and other necessities for 25 or 50 cents.

Salkeld said teachers sometimes quietly give students a quarter so they can shop for the items they need.

Some moments at the store have stayed with her.

One year, a little girl arrived at the PTO store carrying a bag of pennies.

“Instead of counting all those pennies, we told her, ‘Keep your pennies and pick out some things,’” Salkeld recalled.

“We make sure they have what they need.”