Education is just plain expensive, no matter the grade level.

School supplies, check. Afterschool, check. Chess club, check. Sports, check. Clothes, check. Lunch, check.

Whenever I read about the income gap for families with school-age kids, the discussion tends to revolve around whether one can afford private schools. But no one ever talks about all the things parents have to pay for even when kids go to public schools. And as a third-grade parent, I what a difference it makes to be able to afford all the "extras" I mention above. Our educational system is set up to drain us dry, no matter what path we take.