Parents, educators and State Rep. Tara Johnson said families are being squeezed by rising costs as Congress fails to act


ONALASKA, Wis. — In case you missed it, yesterday Opportunity Wisconsin, Family Friendly WI, and Americans for Healthy Families hosted a roundtable in Onalaska, where parents, educators and State Rep. Tara Johnson discussed the rising cost of getting kids back to school and the toll federal Republican policy is taking on family budgets. Participants discussed how tariffs are driving up costs on everyday supplies, and parents described the broader financial strain of preparing children for the school year.

Recent reports show that school supply costs have increased 8 percent since last year. Parents and educators shared firsthand how those rising costs are affecting their families and classrooms, even as Rep. Van Orden and Republicans in Congress push policies that squeeze household budgets further.

News 8000 (WKBT): “Onalaska roundtable addresses rising back-to-school costs”

  • Parents, school staff and elected officials gathered in Onalaska Tuesday for a back-to-school roundtable focused on rising costs and uncertainty linked to federal cuts.
     
  • “‘A lot of times it is just bottled ideas or tweets in the wind, and I really believe that we all have a responsibility to take care of children,” said Sydney Grimes, a parent of an Onalaska student.
     
  • Reports show back-to-school shopping costs have increased 8% since last year.

WIZM: “From parents to lawmakers, concern about rising school costs is discussed at an Onalaska roundtable”

  • Sending kids to public schools in Wisconsin means more families are under a strain to pay for all the supplies that students need.
     
  • State Rep Tara Johnson and the group Opportunity Wisconsin have called on Congress to find ways to reduce the cost of supplies…mainly by reducing Republican-sponsored tariffs. Johnson spoke in Onalaska Tuesday, at a news conference blaming GOP leadership for contributing to price increases. She says for entry into school, kids need physicals, and if you pay a high deductible, “your out-of-pocket (expenses) for five kids would be hundreds and hundreds of dollars, at a minimum.”
     
  • Long-time La Crosse teachers union leader John Havlicek says critics of programs such as school lunch don’t seem to have empathy for families that struggle. “There’s some kind of a judgement mentality on people’s part, that if you can’t afford lunch, that’s your fault,” says Havlicek.