How Much Is Public School Costing Your Family? March 22, 2012, 6:19 pm Any public school parent knows free doesn't really mean "free" when it comes to education: whether the supply list or the prom tickets, the extras (and sometimes the not-so-extras) cost money. At the SchoolBook blog, some colleagues are trying quantify exactly how much money we're talking about for parents of New York City public school students. How much have you spent this year on your child's school or school-related activities - and on what? How do your school expenses stack up against others across the city? Are the costs higher than they were in the past? And what expense has taxed or irritated you the most? Head to SchoolBook to read more and to respond (no Facebook account required).