By AMANDA LARCH, The Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — The cost of school supplies is rising, and with an increase in technology in the classroom, more students are required to submit assignments from home, according to the Huntington Backpack Index, an annual barometer for household spending on school supplies and related fees in the nation.
According to the index, released by Huntington Bank, the average national cost of school supplies, extracurricular fees and technology for the 2019 school year is $1,017 for elementary, $1,277 for middle and $1,668 for high school students. This includes the cost of a basic laptop and home internet access.
To combat this, parents in Cabell County who may not be able to afford school supplies are offered support thanks to an excess levy, said Jedd Flowers, director of communications for Cabell County Schools.
Through the excess levy, as well as community drives and donations, students in Cabell County are not required to purchase their own school supplies, including backpacks. Cabell County has 13,000 students spread across 26 schools. …