92 percent of parents say their children uses technology for school, according to American Express Spending & Saving Tracker. That’s an increase of an entire ten percent from last year, when 82 percent of parents said the same thing.

For that reason, more parents are reaching into their pockets to fund school-related tech for their students, resulting in back-to-school spending being more expensive than ever before. On average, parents will spend about $1,642 on back-to-school expenses, up from $1,239 in 2015.

Specifically, more parents are purchasing mobile devices for their students than ever before.

"The use of smartphones for education has steadily increased over the past four years, with 32% of parents agreeing that smartphones are a go-to gadget for learning (vs. 29% in 2015, 24% in 2014 and 19% in 2013),” said American Express in a statement.

"Of those parents purchasing a cell phone for back-to-school season, 73% will purchase a smart phone. However, whether kids are using phones for personal or educational purposes, parents say the average acceptable age for a cell phone remains at 12, consistent over the last three years.”

Still, regardless of the rise in smartphone popularity, laptops remain the number one tech gadget that parents will purchase for their child.

It’s not just technology, however, that parents are willing to spend more on.

Proponents for music education in schools will be overjoyed to hear that more parents are making financial commitments to musical instruments for their children than ever before.

In 2015, parents spent an average of $194 on musical instruments. This year, parents spent $264.

Back-to-school shopping doesn’t have to be such an expensive endeavor. To find out how to save money this season, check out our savings tips for teachers and parents alike.

Read the full story here. 

Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

8/15/2016