Buying School Supplies Expensive Proposition for Bloomington, Ind., Families.

Byline: Anne Kibbler

Aug. 26--One large glue stick: $1.59

A box of eight markers: $3.49

A pair of safe scissors: $1.49 (on sale).

Most school supplies are low-ticket items, but ask any parent about buying pencils, paper and spiral notebooks for the start of the new year, and you'll hear the same story: It all adds up.

Take Betsy Pate. With three children -- in elementary school, middle school and high school -- she spent $85 last week on school supplies.

Son Craig, 10, is going into the fifth grade at Clear Creek Elementary. For him, Pate bought most of the items on the list given out by the school. She also bought some basics for daughters Jessica, 13, an eighth-grader at Batchelor Middle School, and Megan, 16, a junior at Bloomington High School South. The girls will bring home more requests once they …