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Nov 27, 2023

Backpack Attack provides school supplies for Decatur students

YMCA CEO Dominic Santomassimo describes the Backpack Attack. DECATUR — Morning rain showers might be responsible for the slow start to the annual Backpack Attack on Saturday, but by the time the event

YMCA CEO Dominic Santomassimo describes the Backpack Attack.

DECATUR — Morning rain showers might be responsible for the slow start to the annual Backpack Attack on Saturday, but by the time the event ended at noon, all the backpacks had been distributed.

Backpacks filled with school supplies were available for students entering kindergarten through sixth grade, said Dominic Santomassimo, CEO of the Decatur Family YMCA.

ADM Cares volunteers wait for families to pick up backpacks on Saturday at the Decatur Family YMCA.

“At the Y, we have some of our vendors here to support families,” he said. “If there's things that you're going through as a family, we have a vendor here who can help you on the way to picking out your school backpack.”

Backpacks this year had classroom supplies like tissues and hand sanitizer, as well as individual school supplies, he said, and were available in a variety of colors so kids could find one they liked.

Sites included Old Kings Orchard Community Center and Crossing Healthcare, where families could also get school physicals and vaccinations taken care of. Students must have their school physicals and any required vaccinations completed by Oct. 16, Santomassimo said, or they will not be allowed to attend school under Illinois law.

The Johns Hill Magnet School site was not open on Saturday as planned. Instead, Johns Hill will offer a drive-thru distribution from 3 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday for families that couldn't make it to Saturday's event. Children should accompany their parents.

Alicia Taylor, 9, holds her new backpack at the Backpack Attack on Saturday.

Angela Owens' children each chose a different color backpack, but Malachi, 7, forgot to take his with him as the family left and they had to come back. Owens was torn between laughter and dismay when they got to the car and she realized what had happened.

“I think it's a great idea (to have the event),” she said. “Normally we drive through.”

The reason for having families come in instead of drive through, Santomassimo said, was so they could visit the vendor booths, which included Crossings, the Macon County Health Department, Girl Scouts, Empowerment Opportunity Center, Familia Dental, Heritage Behavioral Health Center, PNC Bank and YMCA School Age Care Programs.

ADM Cares volunteers were on hand to help hand out backpacks. Volunteer Praveem Vadi spent a few minutes chatting with co-worker Lijia Zhu, who didn't know the event was underway. She was at the Y to pick up her son from a swimming event.

Praveem Vadi, left, an ADM Cares volunteer, talks to Lijia Zhu at the Backpack Attack held at the Decatur Family YMCA on Saturday.

“There's activity here, so we just wanted to come and see the activity,” she said, chuckling, and both her younger children, Juby Tang and Jojo Tang, chose backpacks for themselves.

For decades the cost of college has been rising, and a storm of factors, including inflation and plummeting enrollment numbers, are being cited as reasons behind new, steeper tuition hikes.

In recent weeks, universities in Michigan, Oklahoma, Iowa, Arkansas, Kansas, and Memphis have announced plans to raise tuition costs for incoming students. For the University of Oklahoma, it's the third consecutive increase in as many years, which officials said was "integral to the success of the university."

It's a continuation of a trend that's led to heated discussions among lawmakers and the public about how and whether to relieve the burden tuition costs place on students. Even before the pandemic, average college tuition increased steadily at around 3% per year. At Kansas State, officials say the 5% tuition increase means the school's budget is "still way under the cumulative inflation."

The average cost of tuition, room, and board across all types of universities has ballooned 146% from 1970 to 2021, according to Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics data. Public and private college graduates entering the workforce in 2019 carried an average student debt balance of $28,950—a far cry from the 1970s when a student could pay around $11,000 on average for a four-year degree.

Stacker compiled tuition cost data from NCES to chronicle the average college tuition costs for high school graduates from 1970 to the present day. Costs for room and board are categorized as housing and meal costs. All statistics are averages across all universities, including private, public, non-profit, and for-profit schools.

Continue reading to see how the cost of college stacks up for your graduation year.

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $11,819.92

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $2,794.91

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,634.23

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $12,007.01

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $2,867.63

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,605.63

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $12,483.33

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $3,027.06

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,614.34

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $11,836.73

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $2,821.23

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,458.52

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $11,110.01

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $2,706.54

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,281.45

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $11,173.57

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $2,733.53

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,347.96

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $11,553.56

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $2,738.53

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,352.22

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $11,448.95

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $2,747.02

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,275.83

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $11,207.02

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $2,671.85

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,169.43

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $10,735.25

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $2,573.63

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,033.25

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $10,630.59

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $2,569.66

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $2,961.47

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $11,047.50

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $2,688.38

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,025.99

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $11,812.90

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $2,889.97

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,187.04

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $12,273.31

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $3,004.34

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,209.89

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $12,839.40

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $3,189.97

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,261.55

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $13,310.67

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $3,276.34

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,300.94

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $14,109.50

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $3,374.78

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,537.76

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $14,248.49

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $3,444.33

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,533.01

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $14,603.30

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $3,493.17

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,570.74

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $14,945.69

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $3,470.68

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,599.27

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $14,937.32

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $3,501.35

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,558.31

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $15,684.85

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $3,657.81

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,677.28

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $16,169.57

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $3,675.96

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,719.86

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $16,730.90

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $3,798.53

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,719.46

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $17,019.82

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $3,848.21

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,739.85

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $17,594.40

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $3,948.37

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,791.22

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $17,952.10

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $4,010.11

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,809.85

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $18,347.66

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $4,079.09

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,936.43

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $19,013.04

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $4,198.95

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $4,062.44

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $19,195.67

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $4,275.62

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,976.32

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $19,421.56

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $4,347.56

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $3,995.10

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $20,142.06

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $4,519.03

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $4,124.74

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $20,864.85

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $4,715.36

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $4,143.44

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $21,926.00

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $4,876.01

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $4,282.43

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $22,664.09

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $5,027.14

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $4,312.95

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $23,078.10

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $5,163.84

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $4,321.28

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $23,812.78

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $5,305.92

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $4,416.27

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $24,070.39

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $5,365.79

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $4,465.80

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $24,961.15

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $5,586.50

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $4,607.75

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $25,650.15

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $5,809.31

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $4,780.23

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $26,273.52

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $5,975.00

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $4,890.12

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $26,609.01

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $6,040.84

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $4,873.81

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $27,151.53

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $6,180.24

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $4,933.94

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $27,663.66

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $6,332.00

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $5,022.30

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $28,250.98

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $6,504.89

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $5,116.29

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $28,860.83

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $6,673.43

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $5,242.50

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $28,838.25

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $6,757.06

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $5,259.28

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $29,013.08

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $6,841.82

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $5,283.86

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $28,121.26

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $6,934.90

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $5,331.10

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $29,436.33

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $7,036.16

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $5,370.54

- Inflation-adjusted cost of 4-year full tuition, room, board, fees: $29,033.42

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year room costs: $7,012.61

- Inflation-adjusted 4-year meal costs: $5,402.52

Data reporting by Dom DiFurio. Photo selection by Abigail Renaud.

Contact Valerie Wells at (217) 421-7982. Follow her on Twitter: @modgirlreporter

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