What's the Deal?

Here is a picture of all the school supplies we were required to purchase for our 3 kids starting school in less than 2 weeks - kindergarten, 1st grade and 3rd grade. In addition to all these items, which are all considered "community property", in otherwords, not necessarily to be used just by our children, but to be used by all the school kids, we're required to pay a $5.00 (per child) school activity fee, and a $10.00 (per child) class fee. What?? Where does this money go? To subsidize the out of pocket costs incurred by the teachers themselves? When there are field trips or other activities during the school year, we're asked to pay additional fees, so with all the supplies provided by the kids' families, what's the deal? Has it always been this way and I was just oblivious to it as a child? It seems like I remember going to the first day of school with a backpack containing a new notebook, folder or two and a few pencils. Our 3rd grader was asked to bring 48 pencils, not to mention all the other stuff - kleenex, ziploc bags, snacks,etc. - seems a bit much to me.