Free school supplies and no fees continue at ASD

Published 12:41 pm Wednesday, July 30, 2025

The decision helps over 1,700 students 

Since 2019, the Astoria School District has found ways to provide equitable access for all students and to help families with back-to- school planning through its effort to supply all of its schools with school supplies.

The district consists of four schools: John Jacob Astor Elementary; Lewis & Clark Elementary; Astoria Middle School; and Astoria High School. The combined student population is more than 1,700 students.  

In addition to the free school supplies, the district has eliminated fees for all students in middle and high school for: physical education uniforms, parking, sports and student planners. 

The decision to continue with these efforts was reapproved in June through the district’s budget process. According to Craig Hoppes, the district’s superintendent, it will cost the district $65,000 to cover the school supplies and another $70,000 to cover the sports fees. About 850 students in the district suffer from poverty, so these efforts not only help make public school affordable, but also help break down barriers, Hoppes said. 

“From a school supplies standpoint, we want kids to come to school and learn,” he said, adding that not having the right supplies can hinder any learning opportunities. 

Holly Marsh, former president of Astoria Middle School Parents Club and a mother of two children in the district, both now in high school, agrees. 

Marsh said the district’s efforts help “level the playing field” for students. 

“It’s just that whole have and have not status, even when it comes down to the school supplies, that can also incorporate an inequitable experience for students,” Marsh said. “Sometimes even sporting fees can make or break a student even being able to participate in an activity or sport.”

Marsh also said the efforts are “very nice” for parents.

“It’s one fewer thing on parents’ plates,” Marsh said. ”Being a parent nowadays is much different than being a parent that our parents had to be.”

Tiffany Golden, a second-grade teacher at Astor Elementary, said that in the past, teachers would have to spend their own money on school supplies — some teachers would spend hundreds of dollars.

Golden also said that because families don’t have to spend money on school supplies, some parents will even help contribute to the class by providing snacks or games. 

Golden also acknowledged that having a class set of school supplies has made an “amazing difference.” 

Apart from providing schools with school supplies and eliminating student fees, the district also provides students with two free meals a day.