New Studies Show Trump’s Chaotic Policies Have Driven Up Back-to-School Costs by 11%

WASHINGTON, DC - President Trump's tariffs and economic policies are raising prices, dragging down economic growth, eliminating thousands of good-paying jobs, and driving up inflation.

Under the Trump Administration, more American families are struggling to afford basic necessities.

With a new school year around the corner, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) says Trump deserves an 'F' when it comes to economic stewardship.

Reed points to a multitude of new studies showing that Trump's chaotic policies are forcing families to pay more for back-to-school shopping this year, with the cost of school supplies, clothes, and food all increasing significantly over last year.

"From paper and pencils, to lunch boxes and clothes, the Trump Economy is making back-to-school shopping more expensive for Americans. Due to Trump's unilateral decision to launch tariffs and an unauthorized Iran war, just about every back-to-school item parents put in their shopping carts this summer has gone up in price. I've voted time and time again to halt the Trump price hikes, but Republican leaders need to stop shielding President Trump from accountability and start passing legislation to help bring down costs. As hardworking parents scrimp and save to manage household finances and tight budgets, Trump-Republicans have gifted the wealthiest one percent huge tax windfalls while shifting heavier financial burdens onto families and communities. That compounds cost-of-living pressures. Democrats want to fix it and help lower prices, but Republican leaders don't seem interested," said Reed.

Key drivers of recent price increases include Trump's higher tariffs on imported goods, his war in Iran, which has led to rising shipping expenses from elevated gas prices, as well as agricultural labor shortages and general inflation.

In a joint report, the Groundwork Collaborative and The Century Foundation (TCF) crunched the numbers and found the price families will pay this year to send students back to classrooms has surged 11 percent overall. The think tanks, using data from NielsenIQ, a global consumer intelligence company that provides retail and consumer data, found that families will pay about $175 more on school items in 2026,

Meanwhile, the National Retail Federation estimates that households with children in kindergarten through 12th grade will spend an average of $863.86 on back-to-school purchases this year.

Basic classroom staples hit by Trump price spikes include lunch boxes (26.8 percent increase), one-subject notebooks (23 percent increase), index cards (22.2 percent increase), scissors (14 percent increase), and number 2 pencils (6.1 percent increase) which all cost more this school year than in 2025, according to Groundwork/TCF.

Additionally, the cost of packing a school lunch is significantly more over last year. The Groundwork/TCF report shows Trump price spikes for lunchtime favorites like blueberries (47.7 percent increase), sandwich bread (21.8 percent increase), apple juice (20 percent), animal crackers (15.7 percent), and deli meat (12.2 percent).

And for parents of kids who play sports, federal BLS data shows the price of sports equipment -- a common fall purchase for parents of kids getting back to school sports -- spiked over 4 percent between December 2025 and June 2026.

Approximately 45 percent of parents plan to take on debt in order to pay for back-to-school shopping items this year, up from 34 percent in 2024, according to credit score tracking site CreditKarma.

Meanwhile, approximately half of surveyed U.S. parents reported cutting back on discretionary categories-such as dining out and entertainment in order to offset the costs of back-to-school shopping, according to the 2026 Deloitte Back-to-School Survey.

"These price hikes are due to the chaos and conflict caused by Donald Trump. He needs to rein it in. Americans deserve thoughtful leaders who can responsibly budget and provide real certainty and stability. President Trump is enriching his family while other families fall further behind and deeper into debt. It's time to reverse the Trump price hikes, and get people's paychecks and savings growing again" said Reed, pointing out that Trump is making it harder for businesses to effectively plan for the future, which negatively impacts hiring, as seen in the latest dismal jobs report.

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