Requested Supply Lists

Public schools are prohibited from requiring classroom supplies or including course materials on their syllabi.  California Education Code Section 49011(a)(1) requires that “All supplies, materials, and equipment needed to participate in educational activities shall be provided to pupils free of charge”; and California Education Code Section 60070, states “No school official shall require any pupil…to purchase any instructional material for the pupils' use in the school.”

This means that schools cannot require students to purchase supplies (e.g., paper, pens/pencils/crayons, protractors, rulers, binders, workbooks, etc.) to participate in an educational activity. Schools may request donations from parents and develop and distribute lists of school supplies that are presented to parents as voluntary or recommended. For a school supply solicitation to be truly voluntary it must be made clear to parents that donations of school supplies in any quantity are appreciated, but under no circumstances are they required.