CLEVELAND -- School districts encourage parents to skip the stores for school supplies and instead buy a $40 prepared kit.

The kit includes notebooks, markers and all the other school supplies need for school.

The school will do the work and save parents the multiple trips to the store for about $10 more.

While that may sound pricey, retailers said the average do-it-yourself back to school basket of supplies, excluding clothing, comes out to be about $30.