‘There definitely was a need': CPS, communities host back-to-school events to big crowds

Chicago Tribune

2 days ago

Christy Bolden shepherded her four kids around the Piotrowski Park field on a toasty August afternoon. The retired nurse browsed booths offering school supplies, informational flyers and free food at a CPS 'Back-to-School Bash.'
Tuesday's event, one of four held around the city, helped Bolden defray the costs of school supplies for her children, who attend Smyth Elementary School on the Near West Side and CICS Bucktown, she said.
'Things have just skyrocketed in price: the paper, the pencils, disinfecting wipes, everything they need,' Bolden said. 'I don't want them to go to school unprepared like some of the other kids.'
Bolden and her kids are among the many Chicago families who flocked to back-to-school events in late July and early August that provided free supplies at a time when parents across the U.S. report struggling to afford educational materials. Several local events reported increased attendance compared with previous years.
Educational book and supply costs in the average U.S. city have increased by about 1.3% from January to July, according to data maintained by the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank. Since July 2023, those prices have increased by more than 10%. Average weekly wages, in comparison, grew by 0.2% in Cook County in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Educational books and supplies are 9.4% more expensive compared with last year, according to Bankrate, affecting how parents, including those from CPS, are planning their spending. Adding to the pressure, more than 75% of CPS students in 2024 were considered low income compared with the overall state percentage of low-income students at 49.8%, per Illinois Report Card data.
Students are considered low income by the state if they receive or live in households that receive aid from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or through Targeted Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF. The state also designates low-income status to students classified as homeless, migrant, runaway, Head Start or foster children, or who live in a household receiving free or reduced-price meals.
The back-to-school drives coincided with weeks of uncertainty for Chicago Public Schools students and their families, as the district tackles a $734 million budget shortfall, which has reduced lunch options, custodians and crossing guards.
The higher price tags on school necessities, however, created an avenue for local groups and CPS to provide not only free supplies, but fun experiences for children gearing up for school.
This was true for Calmetta Coleman, who found herself working a seemingly never-ending line for snow cones earlier this month at an event in Grand Boulevard hosted by the Chicago Urban League. This year's event eclipsed last year's, seeing nearly 1,000 attendees — more than double the number from 2024, said Coleman, who is chief operating officer of the nonprofit. Previously, the event had leftover backpacks afterward. This year, her team ran out after distributing 500.
'I was not expecting that,' Coleman said. 'The staff … kept saying, 'It's so many people, it's so many people.' But it was the whole parking lot, and you really couldn't see it when people were standing in line for snow cones.'
Many people in the communities that the nonprofit serves are of low-to-moderate income and appreciate when financial pressures — like purchasing school supplies — can be alleviated with help. Coleman added that while there's always been a need, it might be greater this year because of higher prices.
'People are concerned about any number of things that are impacting their ability to be able to get the things that they need for their kids for back to school,' Coleman said.
Over a third of surveyed parents cannot afford back-to-school shopping, while over half plan to sacrifice purchases like groceries to afford school supplies, according to a recent survey by Intuit Credit Karma.
It's also prompted parents to start shopping for back-to-school necessities early.
From 2024 to 2025, the proportion of families who started making school-related purchases in early July increased from 55% to 67%, according to data from the National Retail Federation. In part, they hope to spread the spending over several paychecks, the NRF found. Further, concerns about higher price tags due to tariffs have prompted 51% of families to shop earlier.
These findings indicate potential uncertainty and concern parents and community members are feeling about prices, Illinois Retail Merchants Association President Rob Karr said.
'Nobody knows exactly what the prices are going to be, for example, a month from now, or what the supply will be, which I think is an indication of why they started shopping earlier,' Karr said.
For several CPS families, the district's recent back-to-school bashes offered opportunities to ease those worries, pick up school supplies, and learn more about resources available to students. The events saw over 2,500 people attend, CPS Chief of Family and Community Engagement Fanny Diego Alvarez said.
Justine Bartido also attended CPS' event at Piotrowski Park to pick up backpacks, writing utensils and notebooks. Her family also snagged science kits containing materials for at-home experiments students can try. The Back-to-School Bash ran out of the kits less than two hours into the event.
'The travel will be worth it for the supplies,' said Bartido, who lives in Lakeview.
Bolden, the mother of four, learned about CPS' financial deficit at the Kids First Chicago Booth at Piotrowski Park, which she said was concerning.
'It's already hard to keep books in the schools — and the things that they need,' Bolden said. 'So we don't need to cut anything, or anyone … The classrooms are crowded.'
If the funding cuts are severe enough, Bolden said she would consider homeschooling her children.
Essyl Ghim, 39, also brought her son Bek Lee to grab school supplies at Piotrowski Park. Lee is entering second grade, and it was Ghim's first time at a back-to-school event. In addition to picking up supplies, Ghim's family is trying to rest up ahead of the school year's start. They also need to buy gifts for Lee's teacher and his classroom wish list, Ghim said.
Lee said he's most excited to see his old kindergarten classmates and learn more about math. He has 'no idea' what he's doing to get ready to return to school — his mom is handling most of those preparations.
'And my dad,' he chirped.
Like Bolden, Ghim is also worried about funding decreases that could affect CPS, she said, including cuts to free and reduced school lunches.
'I'm nervous,' she said. 'I don't know what to expect.'
Parents and guardians echoed similar sentiments at the Aug. 7 event at Gately Park Stadium in Pullman. CPS parent Sofia Delgado has five children: four at school and an 11-month-old. Several of her children learn in classrooms with extra educational support, which she worries might evaporate this year.
'Just getting them what they need for school, I think that's important to me, and once they're in school, making sure they're safe, making sure that they have all the resources they need inside of school, especially because I have one that's special needs and two in blended programs, so technically, special needs as well,' Delgado said. Her four children in school picked up backpacks for the school year at the event.
For Kimber Brown and her two children attending Ashburn Community Elementary School, the event's draw was free physicals and vaccinations. Brown's daughter, Kallie, is starting kindergarten and needed a health exam.
'That's why we came here, and (CPS) said that supplies and stuff was given out, so anything for free, we'll take,' Brown said. Brown's other two children, in prekindergarten and day care, also received backpacks and school supplies.
This year's back-to-school events are more centralized compared with previous years, interim CPS CEO Macquline King said, which makes it easier for other government agencies and community groups to converge. Individual schools provided more of these opportunities in the past, she said.
One of King's goals with the bashes was to 'build certainty' for parents, she said. While these events aren't meant to address concerns about CPS funding and staff cuts, King said they are showing families what resources are available.
'The services they receive, it's a value to me,' King said. 'It's a value to the district as a whole. We want to make sure that they know that everything they need, Chicago Public Schools is going to provide.'
Other families are finding free supplies and services at events hosted by community organizations, like churches and nonprofits. Greater Mountain of Hope Ministries near West Englewood hosted one of these events on Aug. 2 and saw their best turnout ever while providing over 200 free bookbags and haircuts, according to pastor Eric Newson Sr. 'We can feel the appreciation and the gratitude from them,' he said, 'because there definitely was a need.'
A few days later, Beegr8t Organization, a community-based children's programming nonprofit, supported the Brainerd-Washington Heights community through a recent school supplies giveaway to provide students a 'strong start' to the school year, founder Tanika Hinton said. The organization gave away free clothing, shoes, books and backpacks to children and placed leftover supplies on a table outside their building for passersby to take as needed.
'We don't want school supplies, backpacks, to be a barrier. We want to set them up for success,' Hinton said.