I have two school aged children. There is nothing better than the start of the school year. No more talk of how bored they are. No more talk of staying up late to watch movies or play video games. No more talk of sleepovers in the middle of the week. Life is great. However, there is one thing some parents dread. The dreaded school supply list.

For those of you without school age children, the school supply list is a list of supplies that each child must bring the first day of school. The list usually includes things like tissues, paper, pencils, pens and hand sanitizer. These supplies are to be used by kids who may have lost an item or children who couldn't afford supplies. My wife and I never really complained about buying the stuff but some of the lists have been kind of ridiculous. So this year we were quite surprised to learn the great state of West Virginia forbids the schools from issuing said lists. Their philosophy is if the child needs it to learn the school must provide it. This is a novel approach and one I will stand behind.

Not everyone is for this though. My wife was registering our children and over heard a principal and a teacher arguing about this. The teacher did not approve and the principal was standing behind the decision. I'm wondering if the teachers are being made to make up the difference by supplying their classrooms with enough supplies. Personally I don't care. It takes the burden off of us and it helps out those families that really can't afford to purchase extra school supplies. I feel the school should be responsible for having enough supplies for every child. I don't expect the school to completely outfit a child with supplies but I do expect them to be able to supply a child an item they may have lost or forgot.

This is the first year they are doing this so we will see how it goes. Of course we will make sure our children have enough supplies to make it through the coming school year but they will be staying at our house.