Tariff Trouble”: Why Your Child’s School Can’t Afford Crayons, Laptops — or Lunch Trays Schools Sound the Alarm as Trade Wars Trigger Budget Chaos and Supply Shortages
By: Aks B | May 30, 2025 Across America’s classrooms, the signs of strain are everywhere: Empty shelves in the supply closet. Backordered laptops. Lunch trays made of cardboard. And school leaders say they’ve found the culprit — not budget cuts, not mismanagement, but tariffs. “We’re paying 30% more for basic supplies than we did three years ago,” said Dr. Marla Thompson, superintendent of a large district in Ohio. “This is a crisis — and it’s being driven by trade policy, not educational demand.” As the U.S. doubles down on tariffs against China and other major trading partners, public schools are becoming collateral damage — and they're finally speaking out. The Cost of Trade Wars Is Hitting the Classroom From iPads to cafeteria trays to HVAC filters, modern schools rely on a vast network of global supply chains. But with sweeping tariffs in place — some as hig...