PENNSYLVANIA – Back-to-school shopping is getting more expensive, and families are the ones paying the price. A new analysis shows that the 2026-27 school year will cost nearly $4,000 per child, up 10.7% from last year.  In the Northeast region, families are expected to spend even more than the national average. Combine this seasonal cost with the $3,900 more that Reps. Ryan Mackenzie, Rob Bresnahan and Scott Perry are costing the average PA household, it's clear - families are stretched to the max.

“Back-to-school shopping is just one more expense that keeps getting harder to afford,” said Stephanie, a parent of two and resident of Walnutport. “Between school supplies, clothes, lunches, groceries and gas, it feels like everything costs more than it did last year. We’re trying to give our kids what they need without putting ourselves further into debt, but there’s only so much we can cut back. Families need Rep. Mackenzie to understand what this actually feels like and start doing something to bring costs down.”

For families, the price increases are showing up everywhere. School supplies are up 7.7%, with notebooks up 23% and lunch boxes up nearly 27%. School lunch staples are up 10.9%, while children's footwear is up 4.7%. Gas prices around $4 a gallon are also making it more expensive to get kids to school, activities and childcare. And the costs don't stop once school starts: households nationwide expect to spend an additional $635 a month on recurring expenses such as meals, snacks and tutoring.

These higher costs are hitting families after months of rising prices for groceries, health care, utilities and other necessities. Tariffs are driving up the cost of imported school supplies and other goods, while higher oil prices tied to the war in Iran are raising transportation and food costs. Families are paying the price at the grocery store, the gas pump and now the back-to-school aisle.

Reps. Ryan Mackenzie, Rob Bresnahan and Scott Perry have supported cost-raising tariffs and continued military action in Iran, even as families in their districts struggle to keep up. They also voted for the Republican Tax Law, which cuts SNAP and Medicaid and puts additional pressure on families already struggling to afford food and health care.

Parents shouldn't have to go into debt or skip groceries to buy their kids notebooks, shoes and school lunches. Reps. Mackenzie, Bresnahan and Perry need to be lowering costs and making it easier for Pennsylvania families to afford the basics—not supporting policies that make the squeeze worse.

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