Faced with cuts in state funding, schools are making do with less. Some classes are larger, some schools have fewer teachers, and students might not have access to all the classes they used to.

"It's not horrible," said Clayton Middle School principal Eddie Price, who said he was staying optimistic. "We just need to do things differently."

One change at Clayton Middle this year: Teachers don't have as much copying paper to use in classrooms.

Eighth-grade teacher Curtis Moore said he will use an overhead projector more often during lessons. He might even give tests that way, although students would still have to write down their answers.

"But it's their paper," Moore said. "We wouldn't be paying for it."

At orientation last week, parents and teachers gathered at Clayton Middle to get to know each other. Jennifer Jacobson, a sixth-grade teacher, said she will have as many as 28 students in a class this year. Last year, her biggest class was 25 students.

Having more students presents extra challenges. "Classroom management becomes more important," Jacobson said.

Price said Clayton Middle has two fewer teachers this year than last. For Jacobson, doing more with less isn't a huge deal.

"It's just one of those things," she said. "If they walk in my door, I teach them."

And to teach them, teachers need school supplies. Eighth-grade teacher Cathy West said she spent $67 of her own money last week on colored pencils, pens, folders and other items.

"So many parents have lost their jobs, so we're hitting the sales just like they are," West said.

Bill and Dee DiFranco's son started the eighth grade at Clayton Middle this year. With three kids, the DiFrancos said they have a lot of supplies to buy. Their son's teacher, West, offered helpful tips to the family.

"She said, 'Look, instead of using money on a pencil pouch, use a Ziploc bag,'" Dee DiFranco said.

Parents are strapped for cash, just like schools are. That's why everybody should work together, Bill DiFranco said.

"Regardless, it has to happen," he said. "They have to get an education. They have to have paper to write on."

Schools depend on volunteers for help. Talitha Crawford, a PTA member at Clayton Middle, said she's worried parent involvement will drop off this year as families deal with stressors like job losses.

"If they do have a job, they're trying to preserve that," Crawford said. "They won't ask off a lot of time from work to volunteer at school."

Parents can do little things to make a difference, said Crawford, a former teacher. "If you see a sale that's 'Kleenex, buy one get one free,' why not get the free one and give it to a teacher?" she said.