The National Retail Federation reported a survey that was conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, where those with children from grades k-12 plan to spend less this year for school supplies.  The survey found that parents expect to spend a portion of their shopping budget on supplies such as laptops and other online tools.

The average amount expected to be spent on school supplies is $630.36 this year, which is down from $669.28 from last year.  The overall spent on school shopping this year is expected to exceed $24 billion for k-12, with an additional 44 billion when you add in college students, according to the National Retail Federation.

Sources:
https://nrf.com/resources/back-school-headquarters
http://www.edweek.org/ew/index.html
http://www.marketwatch.com/