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 climbed—most 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.
Here’s the breakdown:
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%.
Here’s the breakdown:
In 2024, lunch box staples saw a modest 1.16% increase while school supplies saw prices rise 3.6% over the prior year.