We got pencils, notebooks and funky-shaped erasers. We bought protractors for reasons still unclear to me. And we pored over the decorative folders, trying to choose between Shaun Cassidy and extremely talented actors such as Erik Estrada.

        Those were the days when you could put some creativity into the buying process. If teachers distributed a list at all, it certainly didn't include 100 Ziploc bags, three boxes of Kleenex and enough paper to jam an Enron shredder.

        Such is the state of school-supply shopping.

The list

        Lea Schmitt's son attends second grade at Dry Ridge Elementary School. She loves the education he's getting and buys the supplies without complaint. Still, she has to wonder about the list.

        This year, her son was asked to bring the following items, she says:

        Five hundred sheets of computer paper; three boxes of 24-count Crayola crayons; two packages of 12-count, yellow No. 2 pencils; three pocket folders with no designs on them; four wide-rule, 70-count spiral notebooks; two pairs of Fiskars brand scissors ...

        (Pause. Take breath here.)

        ... one package of 3-by-5 index cards; washable markers; two glue sticks; one package of dry erase markers; two bottles of Elmer's white glue; a roll of paper towels; three boxes of Kleenex; hand sanitizer; and pint-sized Ziploc bags.

        Naturally, Ms. Schmitt drove her son to school that day.

        “A second-grader can't get on the bus with four Wal-Mart bags and his lunch and everything else,” she says, chuckling. “The poor little thing could barely walk.”

The list explained

        Several factors are at work here.

        For one, Dry Ridge Principal Ralph Rose tells me, most of the items were probably optional, although he's not sure teachers made that clear.

        Some families can't afford supplies, he says.

        Those that can are asked to contribute to the school's general collection for distribution throughout the year.

        Offbeat items, such as the disposable camera required of first-graders at North Pointe Elementary in Boone County, also reflect a trend in Kentucky education.

        Teachers are doing more and more hands-on projects, which is great but gets messy and requires more materials.

        At the same time, school budgets are especially tight right now, so teachers are looking for help from parents.

        At Beechwood Elementary School in Fort Mitchell, some kids were asked to bring in bottles of 409 cleaner this year, while others were assigned Fantastik.

        Superintendent Fred Bassett was surprised to hear about the items.

        He checked into it — seems the aides have been trying to wipe down tables more often to kill germs.

        Traditionally, teachers have dipped into their own pockets for such supplies. This is noble but crazy.

        Following their lists is one way we can show respect for their profession, as buried in Kleenex as it is.

        Contact: kgutierrez@enquirer.com or 859-578-5584.

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