Gov. Evers Blasts President Trump, Republicans in Congress for Sky-High Costs as Kids and Families Head Back to School
Table of 2026 Price Hikes for Back-to-School Supplies by product (left), Table of 2026 Price Hikes for Popular School Lunch Items (right) as provided by the Century Foundation and Groundwork Collaborative
MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today slammed President Donald J. Trump and Republicans in Congress, including members of Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation, for emboldening and enabling the president’s disastrous economic policies that are driving up costs for working families as kids and parents get ready to go back to school, including school supplies and daily lunch supplies to keep kids fed, while household budgets are already stretched thin.
According to a new analysis, all told, families will spend 10.7 percent more this school year than last school year, with parents reporting they plan to take on debt or are cutting back on other household expenses to afford back-to-school shopping this year. The average family in the U.S. will spend close to $4,000 per kid for the 2026-27 school year, including school supplies, such as glue sticks, notebooks, scissors, and colored pencils, which are costing parents on average 7.7 percent more this year, as well as lunch items that are costing nearly 11 percent more this year.
Gov. Evers today blasted President Trump and Republicans for the reckless trade wars and tariff taxes that are continuing to drive costs up for Wisconsin’s working families, especially as kids return to school in Wisconsin this week:
“From gas and groceries to utilities and healthcare, families are already stretched thin thanks to President Trump’s reckless and erratic trade wars and disastrous tariff taxes. Now, as kids, parents, educators, and staff head back to school in Wisconsin, school supplies and packing a lunch are costing families more than 10 percent more than they did a year ago—and our own Republicans in Congress not only allowed this to happen but continue to enable it. It’s outrageous,” said Gov. Evers. “Republicans in Congress, including Wisconsin’s own, continue to rubber-stamp President Trump’s shortsighted schemes, and working families, educators, and schools are paying the price on notebooks, tissues, crayons, lunch boxes, sandwich bread, blueberries, ham, apple juice—you name it. It’s time for Republican lawmakers to step up, do the right thing, and do better than doing nothing to help Wisconsin families this back-to-school season.”
On average, the analysis found that parents will spend over $173 on school supplies this year, up from $161 last year, with the largest increases for lunch boxes (up 26.8 percent), notebooks (up 23 percent), index cards (up 22.2 percent), and tissues and notebook paper (both up 20 percent).
However, the bulk of increased costs for parents this school year will come at lunchtime. According to the analysis, parents will be paying on average about $106 per week in lunch costs, up from $95.72 last year.
President Trump sparked a trade war with Canada, Wisconsin’s largest export partner, last weekend, after recent reports show the average American household has spent about $2,072 more on gas, electricity, and tariff-affected goods since President Trump took office for his second term and Republicans secured control of the U.S. Congress. That total increases to $3,569 for a typical household if they receive health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. According to the report, in Wisconsin, households have paid roughly $2,035 and $3,548 more during this time period, respectively, with costs only expected to increase during the remainder of the year.
In response, earlier this week, the governor pointedly called out Republicans in Congress—including Republican members of Wisconsin’s own Congressional delegation—for caving to Trump on his erratic tariffs and reckless trade wars by repeatedly doing nothing as President Trump has unilaterally attempted to implement illegal tariffs and intentionally block efforts in Congress aimed at ending the tariffs.
Republican members of Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation include:
- U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin);
- U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil (WI-01);
- U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden (WI-03);
- U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05);
- U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman (WI-06);
- U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany (WI-07); and
- U.S. Rep. Tony Wied (WI-08).
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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