Graphing Calculator...school supplies are killing me(rant)

[SEA333]

I have to admit, this might turn into a rant....consider yourself warned

Ok so being a Michigan girl now living in Illinois, I still get sticker shock every July and August when I get that lovely little bill in my kids' public school registration packet that, upon full payment, allows my children to be placed on a class list and attend school come mid-August (another pet peeve, but I won't get into that here...)

So, with a brand new high schooler this year and a 5th and 3rd grader, my total so far (for PUBLIC school) comes to $1340 including the mandatory school supply list, class "supply fees", three $12 mandatory, school-issued locks for DS's various lockers, a $20 activity fee for DS's school ID, and bussing so my younger two can mandatorily safely cross a 4 lane road that is between us and the 4 blocks it takes to get to their school (school won't allow kids to cross alone nor provide crossing guards).

Ok, i'm (kind of) accepting of this. I don't like it, but accept it. Then I get a letter from Ms. Spanish II teacher saying send in $50 for a mandatory workbook. Then Ms. Honors Algebra teacher tells DS that they need a TI-84 Plus graphing calculator...by Monday. Ok, how much could a calculator be, I ask myself?

We walked out of Target today with a $124.99 TI-84 Plus calculator. Sigh.

I told DS not to open it yet because I need to see if I can get it cheaper somewhere else. I found it on sale for $99.00 at Office Max. Sigh.

Please, please someone tell me that this calculator will take this child through trig and calculus and whatever his crazy mathmatical mind will take him for the rest of high school and college?

This calculator has just about put me over the edge with this whole school fees thing...maybe its just me, but I can say that a few years ago, having to spring for all of these fees would have been impossible for my family. How does everyone do it??!!

 

[dawnhaze]

I used the same TI graphing calculator from 8th grade through college pre-calculus and statistics. I think it was an 86? Anyway, I was done with math after that, so I sold it to a high school kid for half of the retail price.

They last a while if they're not lost or stolen. Breaking them is hard.

 

[shanejoseph]

Hang in there. I feel your pain! Just bought same calculator $99 at Office Depot for DD! Wait 'til all the extracurricular activities start! I'm just waiting for the day my DD's a Disney Imagineer, and supports us two!!!

 

[SarahDisney]

I used the same TI-86 from 9th grade through college, and would have passed it down to my brother if his school hadn't required a different model.

The TI-84+ is one of the most common models, so most of his classes will probably use it, and they really do last a long time (I still have my almost 15 year old TI-86, which would work fine if I changed the batteries).

$99 is a really good price for it - they usually do run in the $120-$140 range.

 

[texasmomoftwo]

deleted

 

[texasmomoftwo]

Sorry I should have added. My child is going to be a sophomore this year. We had to buy her a very expensive graphic calculator as well. It should last her through college.

 

[havaneselover]

Yes. I think I used a ti 81 (early 90s) in ap calculus in high school and calc 3 in college so it's a good investment.

Those fees are crazy. I would cry. I have middle school fees for the first time this year but that's mainly insurance for the laptop they get starting in 6th grade.

 

[Southernmiss]

Yes, it's quite common for high school kids to need a graphing calculator and it usually does carry them through to college.

Just plan for it for the other kids. And get ready for applying to college fees, visiting college costs, sending them off to college costs. *faint*

I completely understand how expensive kids can be. Have 4 myself.

 

[havaneselover]

My target ad has the ti 84 plus c silver edition (whatever that is) for $90 starting today.

 

[tinker&belle]

If you got the same one that is on sale at target today then they should do a price adjustment.

 

[olwyngdh]

Wow--I homeschool my 8th grader for less than that, and I get full curriculum, all books and workbooks, science supplies, and some art supplies. We had planned on putting her back in public school when we leave the dingleberry of Massachusetts, but wow! K-12 is starting to sound good for high school...it is free and they provide everything!

 

[tajz90]

My son used his through college. It's a good use of money considering you need to buy one . I feel your pain on money flowing through your fingers.

 

[mommyburns]

I teach high school math and this calculator will last through all of the math classes. I am 33 and in my 9th grade year I bought a TI 82 (19 years later) it died last year. The TI 83 I bought sophomore year is still working now and I let my students use it when I am short in class. The internal pieces have changed only minimally in 20 years. Some calculus teachers want a different one, but I don't think they are worth it.

 

[aprilgail2]

Ok so being a Michigan girl now living in Illinois, I still get sticker shock every July and August when I get that lovely little bill in my kids' public school registration packet that, upon full payment, allows my children to be placed on a class list and attend school come mid-August (another pet peeve, but I won't get into that here...)

So, with a brand new high schooler this year and a 5th and 3rd grader, my total so far (for PUBLIC school) comes to $1340 including the mandatory school supply list, class "supply fees", three $12 mandatory, school-issued locks for DS's various lockers, a $20 activity fee for DS's school ID, and bussing so my younger two can mandatorily safely cross a 4 lane road that is between us and the 4 blocks it takes to get to their school (school won't allow kids to cross alone nor provide crossing guards).

Ok, i'm (kind of) accepting of this. I don't like it, but accept it. Then I get a letter from Ms. Spanish II teacher saying send in $50 for a mandatory workbook. Then Ms. Honors Algebra teacher tells DS that they need a TI-84 Plus graphing calculator...by Monday. Ok, how much could a calculator be, I ask myself?

We walked out of Target today with a $124.99 TI-84 Plus calculator. Sigh.

I told DS not to open it yet because I need to see if I can get it cheaper somewhere else. I found it on sale for $99.00 at Office Max. Sigh.

Please, please someone tell me that this calculator will take this child through trig and calculus and whatever his crazy mathmatical mind will take him for the rest of high school and college?

This calculator has just about put me over the edge with this whole school fees thing...maybe its just me, but I can say that a few years ago, having to spring for all of these fees would have been impossible for my family. How does everyone do it??!!

I can not believe it is even legal for a public school to charge those fees! Fees for books?? Activity fees? wow- we do have to buy our own school supplies here like pens, notebooks, binders, crayons etc but even the school provides the graphing calculators for each student!

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

Last week Target had the TI-84 SE Plus C for $84.99. I know full well it'll be on the supply list this year, so I picked it up. This week it's $90. No way should you pay full price.

 

[Jajone]

I would check craigs list

 

[McKelly]

I can not believe it is even legal for a public school to charge those fees! Fees for books?? Activity fees? wow- we do have to buy our own school supplies here like pens, notebooks, binders, crayons etc but even the school provides the graphing calculators for each student!

It must be legal, because they charge them here too. $60.00 general registration fee and a $85.00 social activity fee. If you don't pay it, you don't attend graduation ceremony. Add-ons: $60,00 yearbook, $25.00 laptop insurance and $80.00 parking pass...oh, and of course school supplies. I wonder how families with multiple kids in high school afford it! But I suppose you know it's coming, so you can save for it.

 

[havaneselover]

I can not believe it is even legal for a public school to charge those fees! Fees for books?? Activity fees? wow- we do have to buy our own school supplies here like pens, notebooks, binders, crayons etc but even the school provides the graphing calculators for each student!

In my district the fees are waived if your income is too low.

But graphing calculators are a very standard requirement. That said I live in a district which provides (and has for the last dozen years) laptops for all kids in grades 6 and up so things do vary tremendously.

 

[JandJ]

My target ad has the ti 84 plus c silver edition (whatever that is) for $90 starting today.

The Silver Edition is exactly the same thing as the "regular" ti 84+

I'm back in school, going for my doctorate, and had to buy a ti 84+ for college algebra, trig, pre-calc, and calculus. I got the Silver Edition about 2 years ago at Staples for around $70. The only catch was - the pink ones were the ones on sale - thankfully I love pink!

Depending on what classes your children take in college, many chemistry professors will not allow the 84+ or the 85 because you can store formulas in them. For all of my chem classes I had to get the ti 36XA and the ti 36 X Pro. The XA was like $10 and the X Pro was around $22. The bad thing about the X Pro is, there are no batteries to replace. So, when mine was on the fritz the day before a chem exam, I had to run to the store and buy another one. Of course, after the exam the original one was working fine again! I have a lovely collection of ti calculators now

 

[crisi]

The ti84 (and related calculators) will very likely see your kid through college unless they major in accounting or finance - in which case there are special financial calculators you invest it. Its a good calculator. We own three - mine from college and one for each of my kids - they are very sturdy - my kids just entered high school, but my daughter needed one as early as fifth grade. Look up how to program reducing radicals when your kid gets that far.

Our school has a lot of low income students, and therefore there is a challenge in that although the calculators are required and mandatory for Algebra and above, only about 2/3s of the kids have them - there are a few loaners - makes class really challenging.

Ours is a note that kids will be allowed to bring laptops in after Winter break, so I'll need two laptops for my kids. They don't HAVE to have them - but like the calculator - the ability of the haves to function will outpace those whose parents didnt spring for a laptop.