What are you spending on back-to -school?

The mad dash is on to find back-to-school supplies and cross off that list.

“Every year it seems like there’s a little bit more to buy,” one Bend mom said Friday.

“I’m getting glue sticks, markers, erasers, stuff for school,” said one eager student.

The lists seem to be getting longer and more detailed.

“It’s very specific, so you have to get the right things,” said another Bend mom.

The National Retail Federation says K-12 parents will spend on average $101.18 per student on school supplies. That’s a 12 percent jump from last year.

I wanted to put that to the test. I picked out a random school supply list, which happened to be from High Lakes Elementary School in Bend and looked at prices on the third-grade supply list.

The list was made up of binders, markers, glue sticks — the usual suspects.

After a quick shopping trip, my total came to $43.14 — well shy of the projected $100 spending.

But that’s just the most basic supplies. Add in clothing, shoes and electronics for back to school and the tab could run up to nearly $700 per family.

Most department stores like Target and Fred Meyer will have your school’s supply list there. You can also visit your schools website for lists posted online.