School Budgets Don’t Cut Costs—They Cut Safety

I wish I could say schools make smart financial decisions. Really, I do. But the truth is, the only thing they’re good at budgeting is how little they can get away with spending on your kid’s health.

See, when schools cut costs, they don’t cut out the useless morning assemblies, the ancient, broken-down projectors, or the overpriced uniforms. No, they cut corners on the one thing that actually matters—safety. The chairs your kid sits on, the pencils they write with, the markers they sniff (yes, they all do it), are all chosen based on one factor: whatever’s cheapest.

Schools Buy the Cheapest Stuff—Not the Safest

Here’s the cold, hard truth: most school supplies are made with literal garbage. Cheap plastics, synthetic dyes, and industrial chemicals that belong in a factory, not in your child’s hands. Why? Because schools buy in bulk, and safe materials cost money.

That’s how you end up with “non-toxic” crayons that have tested positive for asbestos (CBS News, 2018). That’s how kids are still using whiteboard markers filled with xylene, a chemical known to cause headaches and nausea (OSHA). And that’s how, in 2022, a study by the Center for Environmental Health found lead in school water bottles, three years after lead poisoning in schools became a nationwide scandal.

If It’s Approved for Schools, That Means Nothing

Most parents assume school supplies are safe because, well, they’re school supplies. They assume there’s some magical checklist that guarantees the things their kids use every day aren’t filled with industrial chemicals.

Spoiler alert: there isn’t.

Ever wonder why school supplies smell weird? That new binder smell? That glossy notebook sheen? That plastic-y scent of a fresh lunchbox? That’s the smell of off-gassing. It’s what happens when low-quality plastics and synthetic chemicals break down and release VOCs (volatile organic compounds) into the air.

In other words: your child is inhaling plastic fumes. Fun!

Meanwhile, a school will suspend a kid for chewing gum, but not for chewing on a pencil that contains phthalates, which have been linked to hormonal imbalances and developmental issues (Harvard School of Public Health, 2020).

You know what’s actually banned in schools? Peanut butter. You know what’s not? The same toxins that have been linked to asthma, ADHD, and learning disabilities. Make it make sense.

How Did We Let This Become Normal?

Let me tell you something. This could be different. There are safe alternatives—school supplies made from plant-based materials, water-based inks, and non-toxic coatings. But they cost slightly more, so schools pretend they don’t exist.

And most parents? They don’t question it. Because they assume “if it’s sold in a store, it must be safe.” Unfortunately, it’s not. There are more regulations on dog toys than on school supplies (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission).

Demand Better—Because Schools Won’t

Schools will never spend more unless parents demand it. They’ll keep choosing the cheapest, easiest option until someone calls them out. That’s why brands like Doodle exist—to create school supplies that don’t poison kids in the name of cost-cutting.

If schools won’t put student health first, it’s up to us.