It’s an annoying situation for the parents who are caught by surprise on project deadlines, concert dates and bake sale requests.

It’s an annoying situation for teachers who are waiting for papers to be signed and returned on situations such as field trips or homework checks.

It’s an annoying situation for the non-profit groups and agencies who asked that papers about special events or volunteer opportunities be sent home with students, but don’t get a good response.

And if you are a family on a budget, you can’t afford to keep replacing things such as mittens or lunch boxes that are needed but get left behind.

Here’s a good solution posted on that thread from one mom who put a stop to that nonsense:

I actually made a list for DS, laminated it and went to school and hung it in his locker.  I threatened that if I ever show up unannounced and looked in his locker it had better be there or I’d totally embarass him in front of his whole class!  That helped alot!

In the meantime, when my daughter was in grade school, I made it a habit of completely emptying her backpack about once a week to look for important papers that got overlooked or crammed underneath a textbook.

Some schools and Sunday Schoo0l programs are now going toward e-mail notifications sent home to parents so that they aren’t relying on a big packet of paperwork hand-delivered by a kid. If your school or church offers that option, sign up and make sure you check that e-mail account at least two times a week.

And some the area high schools post their daily announcements on line. If you are a parent, you’ll want to check that web site at least twice a week to look for notices such as scholarship announcements and yearbook photo deadlines. Today’s students don’t listen to the public address or video announcements any better than you and your classmates did.

One of the reasons that class drops happen is that the course is too difficult for the students’ abilities. That’s why so many classes have prerequisites, testing requirements or professor’s approval before registration. Ideally, if you were placed in the wrong class, you realized that in enough time to add another class in its place and kept your schedule relatively intact.

In other students, the student is overwhelmed with issues that have nothing to do with the class itself. Some students have a hard time settling into the university or college academic work load. Others get so homesick they can’t focus on their studies. Sometimes there are family issues that spill over to campus life. There also are students who party so much they aren’t doing the work to begin with.

And then there are the really unusual situations such as the faculty strike at Oakland University in Rochester, Mich. There have been no classes taking place. The college released a statement today that they’ll be asking a judge to get involved. Are you a parent or student who is angry about being caught in the middle of that situation? I would be.

The details of what happens when you drop a class, drop a semester or leave a college completely will be different on each campus, but here are some long-range financial issues to consider:

• How many credit hours do you need to stay on track? Most degree programs are based on the student taking 15 credit hours every semester. If you back off one semester to 12 credit hours, you will need to load up extra during another semester, take a summer class to graduate on time, or graduate a semester or two late. Where will you find the money for year 5 tuition, room and board if you are struggling with finances for 4 years?
• How many credit hours do you need to stay at full-time status? Student financial aid such as subsidized loans and grants are written based on whether the student is part-time or full-time status. If you lose the full-time status, your financial aid may be reviewed automatically. If you drop out, any loan deferrals based on a “still in school” clause will expire and you have to start making payments. And health insurance companies often require proof of full-time student status for a young adult to remain on a parents’ health insurance.
• What are the refund policies at the college or university? The financial aid or registrar’s office will have that information available for your school. But in general, the longer you wait to drop a class or drop a semester, the less money you’ll get back as refund.
• What are the academic deadlines at the college or university? If you drop a class before whatever academic deadline is posted at your school, your transcript and grade point average will not be affected. If you drop a class after that deadline or stop showing up without filing the appropriate paperwork,  your permanent student record will include whatever marks the school uses in those cases. Monroe County Community College students were specifically warned about that situation during fall orientation last year.
• What are the options of transferring to another college? Students transfer colleges all the time – often these days, deliberately planning ahead to do so. But you need to wait until the next semester begins to be taking classes at the new campus. You will lose any scholarship money that was awarded by the first campus. There will be a review of your transcript before the new college accepts any of your credits. You might have to repeat a class or bunch up your course work so you get all the new college’s prerequisites in sequence.
• What are you going to do about the textbooks for that class? If you already wrote in or opened the textbook packages, they can’t be returned for a full refund. You’ll get used book prices on those purchases, and you might have to wait until the end of semester to sell them. But even used book prices will be better than getting no money back.

Bottom line: if you are going to drop, transfer or do anything that will affect your full-time student status or graduation date, you need to meet all the deadlines and take care of all the mandatory paperwork so your finances take as little a hit as possible.

I don’t have much to report in the way of school supply shopping bargains any more.

This is what happens when Michigan students are among the last in the country to report to class. The retailers have moved their inventory over to Halloween merchandise because that’s what is going to be selling for the next two months.

If you found it difficult this year to plan ahead for school supply expenses or buy needed items on sale because the teachers or schools did not provide supply lists by mid-summer, then you need to send a letter or make a phone call to the school offices and explain your concerns. To make sure the point is made, ask other families in your school to do the same.

However, it was my experience when my daughter was in junior high and high school here in Monroe that her school supply requests were pretty flexible and we had only a few things that were mandatory purchases. For example, “Something to write in, something to write on,” was the directive when I inquired about school supplies for sixth grade.

If you need to do some shopping this week, here is what I am finding in the sales fliers:

• Rite Aid has a 5 for $5 mix and match sale that includes 24-pack of crayons, Elmer’s glue, composition books and pencils. Notebooks are four for $2. Binders and portfolios are 50 percent off.
• Staples has $1 deals through Wednesday on 7-inch scissors, a dry-erase board and pens. All backpacks are 50 percent off. Selected graphing calculators on Easy Rebate (these items are pricey, you’ll want to find the deals).
• CVS has 25 percent off lunch carriers and backpacks. Composition books and filler paper two for $4. Buy one get one 50 percent off Sharpie markers.
• Target has kids c9 clothing on sale.
• Meijer has men’s NCAA licensed tees sizes M-XXL on buy one get one for $1. Buy two pairs of jeans or casual pants from Signature by Levi Strauss and get a $10 Meijer gift card by mail. Buy $10 worth of Coke products get $10 off a pair of athletic shoes.
• Kmart has through Tuesday a shoe sale with buy one get one 50 percent off on selected styles.
• Elder-Beerman has a sale today that includes 40 percent off kids’ activewear and playwear.
• Sears has selected shoes, jeans, kids’ fall fashions and totes on sale.
• Kohl’s sale through today includes fashion tops and bottoms for boys and girls, selected athletic shoes and all character backpacks.

In the meantime, check through my back-to-school archives. There will be other school-related expenses that you’ll want to think through for the coming year as all the handouts get sent home this week. I’ve got tips on expenses such as high school class rings, senior year photographs, and club and activity fees.

However, if this is a retail option that you are considering, look for the Sam’s Club flier in your stack of newspaper advertisements because there is a One-Day Membership pass valid Sept. 2-7 in that flier.

But college students should first check out that store’s web site.

There is a Collegiate Membership program where anyone with a valid college ID and a valid .edu e-mail can get a Sam’s Club membership for $25 instead of the usual $40.

The marketing campaign is aimed at the residential students. But if you are a non-traditional or commuter student such as at Monroe County Community College, you qualify too. Just get that college ID requested and student e-mail account set up first.

But what I’m seeing on the retail market is: the back-to-school sales are winding down, or, at least aren’t as dramatic as they were in July.

The further annoyance I am hearing from some local families is that, because of the redistricting of the grade schools this year in Monroe Public Schools, a lot of parents did not get early notices on teacher and classroom assignments — much less school supply requests.

“I’m missing all the sales,” one kindergarten mom said in frustration. And for her family, that’s no minor detail. She can only get part-time hours, and her husband has been laid off for more than two months.

Here is what might be my last back-to-school sales roundup for the season. If I see anything in next week’s fliers, I’ll do a roundup. But I can’t promise what product you’ll find on the shelves in mid-September. Michigan students start school very late as compared to elsewhere across the country and the national retailers are moving on to their next promotions.

Did anybody consider the impact on family shopping budgets when there was that big campaign in Michigan a couple of years ago to “Start school after Labor Day, so we have a longer tourist season in the summer!”

That idea was ill-fated from the start. Any family that has kids in fall sports or marching band has to curtail their summer trips starting in mid-August anyway. Monroe High School had a football game this weekend.

Here’s my roundup for this week for the stores in the Monroe, Mich., area:

• Kroger in Monroe, Milan and Dundee (sale starts Monday) composition books, Elmer’s school glue, index card packs, hand sanitizer and notebooks on the 10 for $10 list.
• Kmart has all kids’ messenger bags and slings 50 percent off. Basic Editions leggings and tunics on sale. Boys and girls basic jeans at $12.
• Elder-Beerman has selected kids denim at $16.98. Selected kids’ sets and separates for toddler through boys 7 are 40 percent off.
• Walgreens has three-subject notebooks at two for $3. Filler paper is buy one get one free. Coupon in flier for five for $1 folders, limit 10. Tab divider sets are two for $1.
• CVS has buy two get one free on notebooks. Buy two get one free Avery binders. All lunch carriers and backpacks are 25 percent off. Buy one get one free notebooks. Two pocket folders four for $1. Crayola crayons 64-count on Extra Care Bucks offer.
• Meijer has all backpacks 40 percent off. All lunch bags and totes 30 percent off. Vinyl three-ring binders are 30 percent off. Student planners 30 percent off. Underwear for the family on sale.
• Target has girls jeans at $14 and sales on graphic tees in various sizes.
• Kohl’s has all Levi’s jeans on sale. All Student Lounge items as much as 70 percent off through Tuesday. School uniforms are 40 to 45 percent off. All in-stock men’s and women’s athletic shoes on sale. All backpacks on sale.
• Sears has all jeans on sale through Thursday. Assorted tees for kids at $8.99.
• JCPenney (Detroit Free Press ad) has buy one get one for 88 cents on Arizona tops and denim for kids, juniors and guys. Boys and girls Nike and New Balance shoes are $28.99.
• Staples has specials through Wednesday that include notebooks at 15 cents each and glue stick packs at 50 cents each after instant savings. All backpacks are 25 to 50 percent off. Graphing calculator today and Monday on easy rebate. $3 deals include 72-packs of pencils.
• Rite Aid has buy one get two free on notebooks or composition books. Backpacks and lunch kits are 50 percent off. Buy one get second half off on all Crayola arts and crafts supplies. Elmer’s glue at 99 cents.

Depending on what your district or school sent to the newspapers, you can find information about building re-arrangements, school lunch prices, orientation dates, open house dates, uniform exchange dates, homecoming dates and dismissal times.

The advertisements include haircut coupons, preschool and after-school day care centers, and dance school sign-ups.

Two back-to-school articles that I originally wrote for Monroe on a Budget are in the tab section: one piece is on packing for college, the other on shopping for school supplies. You’ll find those and lots of other money-saving tips in my back-to-school archives.

Susan Tompor at the Free Press has some practical and realistic Plan B ideas in her column Need to pay college tuition?

A snippet:

Have U.S. Savings Bonds that were forgotten in drawers or boxes? See www.treasurydirect.gov to price those bonds and see if they’re still paying interest. You would be able to cash bonds at a bank.

Here’s a paper that was written in 1971 about the history of the National School Lunch Program.

Milan Area Schools in Milan, Mich., has a Tools for Student Success donation drive taking place. The campaign started Aug. 20 and will continue to Sept. 11.

Requested items include pencils, pens, markers, highlighters, spiral notebooks and backpacks in good condition. Detailed supply lists are available at each school in the district. Cash donations also are welcome. Donations can be made at the individual schools or through one of the campaign volunteers.

Any Milan schools student or family who is in need of assistance with school supplies should make their request through their school’s main office or counselor’s office.

For additional information, contact Paula Kartje at kartje@umich.edu.

Most of the other free school supply distributions in the area have already taken place, but there is one scheduled Aug. 29 in Bedford Township. If you are still in need and live in Monroe County, Mich., call the Salvation Army of Monroe County at (734) 241-0440 to ask about any school supplies that may be leftover from the Back-to-School Festivals.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has established new household income guidelines for this year’s free and reduced-price meals.

• 1 person: $14,090 a year or $1,174 a month.
• 2 people: $18,941 a year or $1,579 a month.
• 3 people: $23,803 a year or $1,984 a month.
• 4 people: $28,664 a year or $2,389 a month.
• 5 people: $33,527 a year or $2,794 a month.
• 6 people: $38,389 a year or $3,200 a month.
• 7 people: $43,251 a year or $3,605 a month.
• 8 people: $48,113 a year or $4,010 a month.
• For additional members add: $4,862 annually or $406 monthly.

• 1 person: $20,036 a year or $1,670 a month.
• 2 people: $26,955 a year or $2,247 a month.
• 3 people: $33,874 a year or $2,823 a month.
• 4 people: $40,793 a year or $3,400 a month.
• 5 people: $47,712 a year or $3,976 a month.
• 6 people: $54,631 a year or $4,553 a month.
• 7 people: $61,550 a year or $5,130 a month.
• 8 people: $68,469 a year or $5,706 a month.
• For additional members add: $6,919 annually or $577 monthly.

A note from your blogger: If your family is eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches, sign up. The money you save by participating can help with other family expenses that you might not be able to get financial assistance for.