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Parents sending their kids back to school will spend less because of tough financial times, according to a study. In Florida there will be fewer teachers, extra curricular classes and bus stops. As Whitney Ray tells us, schools and parents are tightening their belts.

Hear it Here: Parents Spending Less, Schools Have Less to Spend

Tessa and her 10 year old daughter Ayana are counting the days until school starts and counting pennies in their back to school budget.

“It is more difficult than it has been over the past four years,” said Tessa.

Tessa began shopping early when she heard the state’s back-to-school tax break wasn’t coming.

“When I found out the sales tax holiday wasn’t going to happen I started getting stuff a little bit at a time,” Tessa said.

A national study claims four out of every five families plan to spend less on back to school shopping. Florida State professor Wayne Hochwarter said parents will be more concerned with pencils and paper than shirts and shoes.

“That seems to be the place where people are looking to cut is more in the fashion area, more and more people shopping in outlets,” said Hochwarter.

Family budgets aren’t the only ones suffering. Schools took a huge blow to their bank accounts. Administrations are looking to cut cost and save fuel. When school buses get rolling again, in some districts they’ll make fewer stops.

Teacher and staff layoffs across the state have parents worried about the quality of education their children will receive. Colette Wood will send her daughter off to first grade in a few weeks. She fears the best teachers at her daughter’s school could leave.

“It might take away from some of the better teachers we might have because they’re not getting paid what they’re worth,” said Wood.

And while a quality education may be priceless, school funding has its limits. Last year, Florida families saved more than 40 million dollars during the state’s 10 day back-to-school tax holiday. This is the first time in almost a decade Florida hasn’t had the tax holiday.