How much Chicago parents are spending on back-to-school shopping

Driving the news: Some suburban school students are heading back to class this week, and Chicago Public Schools start Aug. 26.

By the numbers: Chicago's average spending is $747, up $92 from last year. That's well above the national average of $586.

• The highest cost falls on tech products, with parents expecting to drop $560 per kid.

Plus: Beyond supplies, parents are also bracing for the hefty expense of enrolling their kids in extracurriculars. Chicagoans surveyed expect those activities to cost $633 on average.

Between the lines: Illinois is no longer freezing back-to-school sales taxes, but there are still plenty of ways to save:

• Northwestern Mutual's Andrea K. Williams suggests shoppers first take stock of what you have at home before you shop, use cash-back sites like Ibotta or Rakuten, and talk to other families about swapping supplies and equipment.
• Cradles to Crayons has 41 locations across Chicago and the suburbs to donate or pick up school supplies.