School Supplies are just annoying

This is the first year of school for our family, so it's also the first year that we are venturing into the dreaded school supply lists. Let me just say before we get going that I love school supplies. I love it when the stores start carrying bins and bins of beautiful Crayola products and glue sticks in all sizes. I've been hearing friends complain for years about how specific the school supply lists are but I thought I love school supplies it will be fine. NO... I was wrong. We got our list a month ago and it seemed fine. The list was on Amazon and they asked that you buy the specific item, that seemed totally doable, and I was about to press "checkout" when I started looking through. One box of Crayola crayons (24 count) was listed for $2.50... he needed three... they are $0.50 at Walmart, Target, and HEB... for the same EXACT item (Amazon is not a good place to buy individual office supplies). As we started going through the list other strange things appeared- the plastic, two pocket folders they required were $2- which seemed high but whatever, but the shipping was $7.02 per folder. You can buy a package of 24 of these folders from Office Max for $16... but you can't buy one (as I learned). The Office Max equivalent folders (which gosh I hope are accepted) were $0.60 each... so I could have spent $4 on two folders which I was more than happy to do and $14 on shipping... which I was not happy to do. Then there are the requirements for things not actually available... like the 9x12 drawing paper- the requested one was $12 a box... fine... but $17 in shipping. You know what they dont sell in most stores... 9x12 drawing paper, bright white, 60 count. You know what they do sell? TONS of 8.5x11 paper in bright white- why teacher did you have to pick this slightly off size that can't actually be purchased anywhere else- does the extra inch matter, no I would argue it's not, this is kindergarten not art school! And another thing (I've been to lots of stores and I'm annoyed) we have been told our items must come in their original packaging- totally fine, but you know what... unless you buy the ridiculously priced Amazon item and pay the insane shipping (many of the items are not Prime eligible) you're screwed (sorry). For example Michael needed three glue sticks in a specific size and brand- cool. Except glue sticks... come in packs of two and not three. So his teacher is getting 4. He was also required to buy 12 pencils... cool except did you know that the identical pencil in a 12 pack is about 4 times as much as the pencil in a 30 pack and the only place to buy those pencils is Amazon, sorry teacher you're getting the 30 pack. I get that the school gets a small kickback from Amazon (if you sign in which I was too angry to do) but why can't the school go to the real store and realize that some things like pencils and glue sticks come in say a 2 pack or a 30 pack and go with those? Or better yet instead of sending us an Amazon list why can't they send a real list (like all the public schools) that says things like: 3 boxes, 24 count, CRAYOLA crayons, 4 school glue sticks, 0.28oz, ELMER'S glue only. Why send this idiotic Amazon list, and why does everything have to be in it's original packaging. Ok I get that they don't want used supplies... but what if you need three glue sticks for example and the pack comes with 6... I am more than happy to buy supplies for the classroom, in fact I am happy to do it because it's my kid and I want him to have exactly what he needs, but don't request made up things or impossibly hard to find things like 9x12 paper. If that's what you need collect money from all the kids, because this idea where we buy the exact brand of folder you want and pay $14 in shipping for two very small folders is a little bit stupid because that's the only way to to buy those folders unless you buy the 24, 50, or 100 packs.... here's an idea... you buy the 24 pack and I will give you the $2... AGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!