DENVER -- Some parents doing back to school shopping are feeling sticker shock.

Not necessarily because of the price of what they have to buy, but because of the quantity.

Back to school lists are growing and that means parents costs are too.

Lists that typically include pencils and crayons now include Clorox wipes and Ziploc bags. This as schools stare down huge budget shortfalls.

"(I'm) just buying really large quantities of things. You know, 40 pencils, 15 glue sticks," said parent Kathy Swezy.

"When parents come back to school this year, they may see some new things on the supply list like the Clorox wipes, the reams of paper. And the reason for that is it's the result of a quarter billion-dollar cut from the state," said Lisa Weil, policy director with Great Education Colorado.

Some parents said they were happy to help, despite the extra costs. "It doesn't bother me, because I know that the teachers put a lot in also for their classrooms," said parent Kerri Schmidt.

Other families said it does create challenges.

"I'm a little bit conflicted right now, because I'm actually unemployed. So, that's a little bit hard," said Swezy.

"This is one of a number of really bad options that the district's have to decide among," said Weil.

As schools try to do more with less, placing more of the burden on parents is a sign of meager budgets.

"They will also be seeing transportation fees, increased book fees, athletic fees," Weil pointed out.

In addition to that, 7NEWS found supply lists seem to vary widely from school to school even the same grade in the same district.

In Adams 50, one school requires first-graders to bring 10 glue sticks, another doesn't require any glue sticks.

In Jefferson County, one school requires third graders to bring 10 notebooks, another district requires just three notebooks. And in Cherry Creek, one school requires students to bring four dry erase markers, another just one.

A spokeswoman for Jeffco Public Schools said those are mainly teacher based differences from classroom to classroom.

"Is it OK that we're a state where our support of schools is at a place where we are having to go to parents and ask them to provide the basic supplies?" questioned Weil.

A nonprofit, the Jefferson Action Center is conducting a school supply drive to help parents and students in the county get the supplies they need.

According to Great Education Colorado, the state's education funding is roughly $1,400 less per pupil than the national average, which ranks Colorado 42nd in the nation.