School supplies, lunches cost a little less in 2025


Lunch staples are down 3.34%, supplies down 7.05%

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

August 22, 2025

  • The cost of popular school lunch items is down 3.34% year-over-year, led by Oat & Honey granola bars (-20.1%) and applesauce cups (-5.1%), though some items like mozzarella string cheese (+2.4%) and fruit snacks (+1.4%) rose slightly.

  • Prices for 15 common items are down 7.05% from 2024, with construction paper (-51.6%), broadline markers (-23.8%), and fine line markers (-12.3%) showing the steepest drops.

  • While some supplies (like notebooks and folders) stayed flat, others climbedmost notably dry erase markers (+20.6%), kids scissors (+3.7%), and washable glue (+11.8%).


Families continue to struggle with the cost of living, but a new report from Datasembly, which tracks prices in real time, finds that some back-to-school costs are going down.

According to the data, the total cost of popular school lunch staples has fallen 3.34%, year-over-year. The biggest decline is the price of a 5-bar package of Oat & Honey granola bars, which is down more than 20% from 2024.

But pretzel twists, white bread, mayo, fruit snacks and mozzarella cheese all cost slightly more.

Heres the breakdown:

Lunch Box Staples

July 2024

July 2025

YOY $ Change

YOY % Change

Oat & Honey granola Bars -gluten free, 5 bars

$8.59

$6.86

-$1.73

-20.1%

Applesauce cups – 6pk, 4oz

$3.13

$2.97

-$0.16

-5.1%

Classic Yellow Mustard 14oz

$2.42

$2.37

-$0.05

-2.1%

Black forest ham 9oz

$5.16

$5.06

-$0.10

-1.9%

Roasted Turkey Breast 9.oz

$5.16

$5.07

-$0.09

-1.7%

American Cheese slices, 24 ct

$5.50

$5.41

-$0.09

-1.6%

Whole Grain bread

$3.67

$3.64

-$0.03

-0.8%

Pretzel Twists, 16oz

$4.01

$4.01

$0.00

0.0%

White Bread

$3.94

$3.95

$0.01

0.3%

Squeeze real mayonnaise 20 oz

$6.27

$6.29

$0.02

0.3%

Mixed Fruit Snacks 10 pack

$5.53

$5.61

$0.08

1.4%

Mozzarella String cheese 12 ct

$6.15

$6.30

$0.15

2.4%

TOTAL

$59.53

$57.54

-$1.99

-3.34%

School supplies

Families are also catching a break when they stock up on school supplies. The report shows the total cost of 15 items usually found in kids backpacks is down 7.05% from last year.

Three items are down by double-digit percentages. Construction paper is down the most more than 50%.

The costs of a college notebook, a 4-pocket paper folder and 150 sheets of wide-ruled paper are the same as last year. Hand sanitizer, kids’ scissors, a 12-inch ruler, washable glue and dry markers have all increased in price since last year. The price of markers recorded the largest increase, 20.6%.

Heres the breakdown:

School Supplies

July 2024

July 2025

YOY $ Change

YOY % Change

Construction paper, 96 sheets

6.26

3.03

-$3.23

-51.6%

Broadline markers 10 ct

4.25

3.24

-$1.01

-23.8%

Fine line markers 10 ct

3.51

3.08

-$0.43

-12.3%

1 subject Notebook

1.67

1.52

-$0.15

-9.0%

Washable Glue Sticks, 3pk

3.32

3.13

-$0.19

-5.7%

Pencils 10pk

3.88

3.77

-$0.11

-2.8%

Colored pencils 24 ct

3.78

3.69

-$0.09

-2.4%

3 subject college ruled notebook

4.99

4.99

$0.00

0.0%

4 pocket paper folder

1.69

1.69

$0.00

0.0%

150ct wide ruled paper

3.19

3.19

$0.00

0.0%

hand sanitizer 8oz

4.67

4.69

$0.02

0.4%

Kids Scissors

2.67

2.77

$0.10

3.7%

12inch ruler

2.01

2.09

$0.08

4.0%

Washable Glue 4oz

1.44

1.61

$0.17

11.8%

Dry Erase Markers 4pk

5.43

6.55

$1.12

20.6%

TOTAL

$52.76

$49.04

-$3.72

-7.05%

In 2024, lunch box staples saw a modest 1.16% increase while school supplies saw prices rise 3.6% over the prior year.



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